Sketches
by SnowLion no Miko
Summary: He was a starving, out of work artist, in need of a model. She was a simple waitress, who just happened to have the look he needed. NejiSaku, AU
1. Dreaming in Pink

_**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto!_

_**Summary: He was a starving, out of work artist, in need of a model. She was a simple waitress, who just happened to have the look he needed. NejiSaku, AU**_

_Here's another addition to the NejiSaku vault of fanfiction. Haha. This idea just popped into my mind one day...I'm not sure how it did, but I know it was during one of the rare times of me thinking. Haha, yeah..._

_Anyway, I hope you will like this first chapter of this new fic of mine, cause I know I will enjoy writing it!_

* * *

**Sketches  
****Chapter One: Dreaming in Pink**

* * *

_Scritch, scritch, scritch..._

The sound of his drawing pencil hitting the paper was the only audible sound throughout the small studio-apartment where Hyuuga Neji lived. Only a few strands of his chocolate brown locks hung in front of his eyes as he worked. His pearly white eyes were narrowed in concentration on his subject. Wearing only the most worn out of his clothes - a simple white button up shirt with dark lead smudges all on it and a pair of baggy black cargo pants - he worked tirelessly, although the corners of his eyes drooped with exhaustion.

His subject, a brown haired, brown eyed girl by the name of Tenten lay on her side, her locks pulled into two buns on either side of her head, tied with strings of pearl. She was completely nude, except for a pure white sheet, that was slightly see-through, hanging loosely off her form, giving a visible outline of her breasts and slender hips. One of her thin hands was propping up her head, while the other was entangled in the sheet she was wrapped in.

Neji focused his eyes on every detail of the brunette's form, matching it into the drawing on his easel. Her round face, the details of her eyes, eyelashes, the curves of her form...he wanted to try and get everything on his canvas. His eyebrows creased, "Hmm..."

Tenten heard this sound emitting from the artist's throat and gave a slight smile, "Thinking hard?"

Neji brought his eyes upward from the paper and glance at her almost scoldingly, "Try not to talk. It makes your facial muscles crinkle up and I can't get the perfect - "

Tenten growled and sat up, the sheet falling from her form, leaving her naked in front of him, "Damn it, Neji, this is so boring...can't we do something a little more _entertaining_?"

"Now why did you have to go and get up?" Neji asked angrily, looking at his girlfriend, who was approaching him, still not having gotten her clothes on, "I wasn't _done_ yet."

The nude brunette came still closer and sat on his lap, right in front of the canvas, gazing at her form on the white paper. "You're getting better, Neji." She whispered in his ear, clasping his lead stained hand and intertwining her fingers with his. "This is very good." She kissed his temple and he gave a slight grunt.

"It would've looked better if you'd let me finish." Neji stated, gazing into her chocolate orbs with his own white depths.

"Oh, don't get mad at me because of that..." Tenten trailed off as she pressed her palms against Neji's firm chest and straddled his waist. "...you wouldn't get mad at me would you?" Her brown orbs looked into his own pearly pools, her lips centimeters from his.

Smirking slightly, Neji was in a better mood than when he had to end his drawing. He chuckled deeply in response before his mouth was captured by Tenten's in a passionate kiss. "Aren't you going to get dressed?" He asked with a slight grin, his eyes gazing over her bare form.

"You'll lend me your shirt, Neji.." She purred as she unbuttoned the front of his shirt, kissing the flesh that became exposed to her as she did so. A pleased smile graced her features as she slipped the shirt from his form and tossed it onto the couch were she once lay. "...but I don't think you want to..."

And, looking into his eyes with a lustful intent, Tenten pushed Neji onto his back, scattering drawing utensils everywhere.

* * *

Rays of sunlight peeked in through the curtainless window. Neji opened his eyes and immediately shielded them with a large hand from the harshness of the light penetrating them. Groaning, he felt a weight on his chest. He looked down to see Tenten's peaceful form sleeping by him, arms entwined around his frame, her head resting softly on his muscular chest. Her soft brunette mane was left down, a sight only he and a few select others had ever seen, and the tendrils tickled his chest. 

Gazing over to the clock, Neji's tired eyes tried to focus on the numbers. _Damn...eleven fifteen. No wonder the sun is so bright now._

He had to get up, he knew, so he gently removed his girlfriend's hands from around him and carefully placed her head on the pillow next to him. Being cautious not to stir her, he got up from the bed and slipped on some clean clothes, which consisted of a black t-shirt and a pair of khaki shorts. He ran a comb through his hair and grabbed a piece of paper and a pen.

He wrote a short note, explaining to Tenten where he was going and around when he was going to be back. Placing the small post-it note on the night stand where Tenten wouldn't miss it, Neji left the small apartment and walked to his favorite place, a quaint restaurant not too far from his apartment.

The sun peered down upon him, highlighting his features and reflecting off his hair. A slight breeze brushed up and blew a few strands around his face. _A cup of coffee would do me good right now... _He thought, trailing off as he entered the small café, a tiny bell ringing signaled his entrance.

Immediately, he was met with a smiling figure at the door. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail that reached her mid-back. Bangs shot out over one of her clear blue eyes. She giggled as she greeted him into the restaurant. "Welcome to our restaurant, I'll get one of the waitresses to seat you. She'll be here shortly."

Neji watched the cheery blonde rush behind the counter and get one of the waitresses to come and show him to an available seat.

Soon, a very pretty girl with short pink hair that reached almost past her neck. Her emerald green orbs sparkled as she made her way over to the chocolate haired man. She wore the restaurant's uniform, which was a black skirt, white shirt, and an off-white colored apron was tied over it. Her slender, cream colored legs were one of her best features, he noted, watching her make her way over to him.

"Come with me and I'll get you seated." She spoke very cheerfully as she led him over to an empty table beside the window.

Neji sat down and leaned back, as if trying to find a comfortable position. The pink haired girl placed a menu in front of him and smiled, "Our special today is the sashimi and we also have many different flavored onigiri, if you would like to try them. I recommend the plum flavored onigiri, if you would like it."

"I just want coffee, black. Thanks." Neji said simply. The girl nodded and walked to prepare his order.

* * *

"Sakura, did you see that guy who just walked in here?" The blonde woman from before squealed, holding her empty carrying tray against her chest tightly in excitement. "He's quite handsome, isn't he?" 

The pink haired waitress smiled slightly, "I guess he is, Ino...better than some other people I've seen around." She moved toward the coffee pot and began brewing a fresh batch of black coffee.

"He's _way_ better than anyone else _I've_ seen." Ino said, looking at her carnation haired friend with incredulity. "I mean - "

"Ino, you have a boyfriend..." Sakura trailed off, looking the blonde in the eyes with a skeptical look on her pretty features.

"Don't worry, I still love Naruto." Ino said reassuringly, and then a dreamy look came across her features as she hummed in pure bliss. "Oh, and Sakura?"

She quirked a dainty eyebrow in response, "Yeah?"

"Don't let the whole Sasuke thing get to you. He's an asshole."

"Coming from the girl who used to love him as much as I do - err, _did_." She tried to play off her choice of words.

"It'll be fine, Sakura." Ino encouraged, placing a hand on the shorter girl's shoulder before smiling at her warmly. "It'll take some time, but you'll get over him...like I did."

Sakura managed a bitter smile, "Thanks..." She trailed off as she felt the weight of Ino's hand leave her slender shoulder.

"Now, I'm gonna go talk to Shikamaru and Temari and see how they're doing." Ino stated cheerily, looking over to the happy - or troubled in Shikamaru's case - couple as they walked into the small café.

"Alright." Sakura said, letting Ino skip toward her two friends and seat them at a small table with two chairs sitting across from each other in the back of the room.

Sakura finished preparing the brunette man's coffee and brought it to him on her tray. Setting it down, she sighed, but then smiled as she met his pearly orbs once more, an involuntary shiver going down her spine as she did so. "If you need anything else, let me know."

Neji looked at the girl, studying her fine features. The light that shone in from the open window highlighted her cheekbones and her pretty features. It glimmered on her hair, causing the short pink strands to shine. Her emerald orbs looked out the window in a somewhat dazed state.

_Stunning._

He watched as her lips curved into a small smile as she watched a bird flutter from the branch of a cherry blossom tree and then fly off into the cerulean canvas of sky above. She seemed to have forgotten all about the man she was supposed to be serving.

Neji suddenly felt an emotion he had been dry of for a very long time.

Inspiration.

The Hyuuga suddenly had the urge to grab a canvas and sheet of pure white paper and begin to paint her in vibrant color, filling in all the gorgeous scenery that was around him. Odd that this crucial emotion to an artist would come in such a small café, and the girl who had given him this sudden surge of creativity had no clue as to why Neji suddenly fidgeted in his seat, anxiously wanting to capture this moment of complete innocence.

"Um, miss?" Neji said politely, almost not wanting to stir her from her reverie.

The girl came to attention as her spine straightened, now realizing that she had been daydreaming, "Oh, I'm sorry. Daydreaming. I tend to do that a lot."

"Aa." Neji mumbled in approval. "That's fine. I wasn't really paying attention..."

"Oh..." Sakura said, clutching the empty tray to her chest. "Alright then, I'll be back with your check."

He watched her walk away, her hips slightly swaying as she did so.

She came back in just a few moments, smiling as she held out the bill. _Very cheap for a cup of coffee,_ Neji noticed, remembering just how much a Starbucks coffee cost. Reaching into his pocket, he produced the amount of money needed as Sakura waited, her nails rapping quietly on her tray.

"Here." Neji said, handing her the cash. "The coffee is very good."

"Thanks." Sakura replied, reaching into his outstretched hand for the payment, which included a tip for her, she noticed.

As she turned to walk away, Neji called out to her in a controlled tone, "Hey..."

She turned around and for a brief moment her pink locks strayed and were in front of her face, before they settled to their normal style. "Yeah?"

"What's your name?" He asked nonchalantly.

Sakura smiled brightly, "Haruno Sakura."

_Sakura...means cherry blossom. It's appropriate for her. _Neji thought as he resisted a smile.

She pocketed the change and stood in a confident pose, causing another urge for Neji to paint. It seemed this girl knew how to pose in even the most subtle ways. It wasn't just a big pose that screamed 'Look at me!'. She posed slightly each time she talked to him, each pose was a winning portrait...if he could ever paint her, that is.

"What's your name?" She asked, her emerald orbs curious.

Neji chuckled, "Hyuuga Neji."

She gave another giggle as she turned to go, muttering a 'Nice to meet you', leaving Neji to sip his coffee alone.

* * *

Walking home just a few minutes later, Neji climbed the stairs to his apartment, prepared to be met with his girlfriend, but the only thing he wanted right now was to paint that Haruno girl. She seemed to be a natural at posing, but she didn't even realize it. 

He unlocked his door and saw Tenten sitting on the couch, watching some romance movie, no doubt. "Tenten?" He asked, closing the door behind him and moving closer to the brunette woman.

Tenten turned around, her hair now up in her trademark buns once more, "Welcome home, Neji!" She said enthusiastically.

Rising from the couch, she made her way over to him, smiling happily all the way. "How was your outing?"

"It was...calming..." He said, not entirely lying.

Tenten smiled brighter, "That's nice to hear. You seemed tense last night."

She looked into his eyes once more as she placed her hands on his shoulders, massaging the muscles of his neck.

But, even as Tenten's lips pressed tight against his, Neji couldn't rid the vision of pink from his conscious.

* * *

_**End Chapter One.**_

_How was it? I hoped you liked it! I enjoyed writing it. It was definitely a change of pace from "Play My Song", which is mostly a hatred-then-love relationship between Neji and Sakura. But this one, I plan on making it a all-out love story between the two. I hope that doesn't turn you off from it at all. Haha._

_As you can see, it's going to be a NejiTen at the beginning. I'm not really used to writing the pairing - or Tenten's character in general - so I'm sorry if she's a little OOC. I'm just trying to make her out to be the "loving girlfriend", which we know will change if this is NejiSaku (sorry again for any NejiTen lovers)._

_And the whole thing with Sakura and Sasuke will be revealed sooner or later. Yeah...just so ya know. _

_Anyway I hope you enjoyed reading this first chapter of this new fic of mine (I know I should be working on "Play My Song", but I kinda wanted a change of pace right now...and this idea just wouldn't leave me alone)._

_So, I hope you liked it and please review!_


	2. By Chance

_**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto!_

_Well, I've certainly had some drama the past week. Turns out, some girl was plagiarizing this fic - more specifically the first chapter. Here, I'll give you a basic summarization of what she turned it into - she changed Neji to Gaara, Tenten to a prostitute, Ino's love interest was Shino instead of Naruto, it was set in France, and it was a GaaSaku. To say the least, I was pissed. I sent her a PM about it, but she never replied, and I've tried to find her profile again, but I couldn't. I even searched for the copied story, but I couldn't find it either. Maybe someone had it deleted. Thank God if they did. Now I know what all the victims of plagiarism feel like. I would hate to have it happen to anyone else... _

_Well, anyway, sorry to keep you waiting on this second chapter, and I hope you enjoy it!_

_Here ya go!_

* * *

**Sketches  
****Chapter Two: By Chance**

* * *

His fingers itched to sketch something. 

That in particular something was the pretty pink haired girl he met the day before.

Neji settled on drawing something else instead. The beautiful pond beside the bench he was sitting at in the park, located just on the fringe of his lowly neighborhood was a lovely subject. The beams of sunlight shone down onto the glossy surface of the small, but structured pond. A small footbridge arced its way over the middle of the quaint little body of water, and small groups of koi fish swam throughout its shallow waters. Stones and pebbles embedded themselves along the bank, and some were loose, and were usually moved by little kids who loved to play along the edge of the calm surface.

The gentle splash of the pond was heard as a young boy wandered over to the edge, as if to see what was with the water. Neji thought about drawing this little boy, but decided against it, since he did not know the small child, for the kid might have a problem with it.

He pursed his lips and his brow creased as he scratched his pencil on the pad of drawing paper he brought with him to the park on bright, sunny days like this. Neji had long ago decided that drawing outdoor scenes were quite difficult to him, other than his usual subjects - Tenten, and...well, Tenten. Oh, and the occasional bowl of fruit provided him a change. A boring change, but a change nonetheless.

The reason behind deciding that outdoor scenes were the most difficult thing to draw was simple - there were too many details. Details of the blades of grass, leaves of trees, flowers, the way the wind was blowing, how the water looked, and various other variables were held into account when he drew a nature scene.

Nature was beautiful, but beautiful things were complex.

He looked up from his notepad and studied the details of the bridge. It was made of wood, with small carvings of roses engraved throughout, and it arched in a medium height. Looking back down to his paper, he took his pencil loosely between his fingers - his strokes would look stained if he held the pencil tightly, he realized early in his career - and began to sketch the bridge, curving gracefully over the pond he had drawn earlier that morning.

Neji was so engrossed in his work that he didn't hear the crunching of grass as someone approached him and peered over his shoulder, curious eyes observing his work.

_Scratch..._

It was silent for a moment with only the sound of the pencil scraping against the paper and the cool, mid-afternoon wind making the slightest noises. It remained that way until the person spoke in a quiet, controlled tone.

"It's quite good."

Startled out of his drawing reverie, Neji sat erect and turned his head in attempt to find out exactly who it was who had been behind him all this time, only to be met with a pair of familiar green eyes that were softened and looking intently at the drawing in his lap. "Oh..it's you...from the café."

The pink haired girl gave a friendly, teasing smile, "You don't remember my name, ne?"

"Oh..." Neji mumbled slightly, giving her a glance before reaching back into the recesses of his mind to remember her name, the name that had been plaguing him for the past couple of hours that he had been drawing, "...it's Sakura, right?"

She closed her eyes and smiled brighter, "You're right." Opening them once more, she looked at the paper over his shoulder, entranced by it again, "I was going to feel awfully stupid if you didn't remember me."

_How could I forget such vibrant hair? _Neji thought, _And the fact that she has been on my mind ever since yesterday helps..._

He settled for saying something less...creepy, "So...do you remember _my_ name?"

A smirk made its way across his masculine features as he turned his head, catching a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye. "Hm?"

Her pink lips curled into a smile, "Of course...why wouldn't I remember the man who came into my café and just ordered black coffee...which is nasty if you don't put any sugar in it, by the way. I didn't see how you could've drank something so..." She pondered for a moment on what to say, "...so, unappealing to the tastebuds."

"Yes, but," Neji paused for a second, before smirking wider and asking, "do you remember my _name_?"

He could hear the slight hitch in her breath when he said that. _So...she can place faces, but not names...heh. _

Sakura gulped and sighed, feeling defeated, "Um..."

"So, you don't remember my name?"

The emerald eyed girl gave him an apologetic smile, "I'm really sorry..."

Neji smirked, "Well, then...I think I feel offended."

"But, I didn't...I just...ugh, dammit..." Words fled Sakura's mind. "Don't get mad at me! God...I just wanted to be friendly and..." She trailed off, "Ugh..."

_So she has a temper too... _Neji thought, his eyes scanning over her face, which was twisted into a frustrated expression. "I'm not mad, I..."

Neji was cut off by the carnation haired girl, who clapped her hands together in achievement, as if she had just thought of something brilliant, "I know!" She chimed, moving from her position behind Neji to in front of him. "How about I treat you to ramen?"

Pearly eyes widened, "I...wait, what?"

"To make it up to you for not remembering your name!" Sakura said childishly, clenching her arms together in front of her chest. "Besides, you look like you're hungry."

"I'm not - " At that moment, Neji's stomach betrayed him by letting out a loud growl.

Sakura giggled at this, grabbed his hand, and pulled him up from his seat on the bench, "So it's settled!"

"But I can't..."

"Ugh." Sakura stated, removing her hands from his and placing them on her hips, "And why not?"

"I have a girlfriend." Neji replied in a quick intake of breath.

Sakura looked at the Hyuuga boy with a blank stare before bursting into a fit of giggles.

Neji gazed in awe at the girl in front of him. Did he say something funny? Was he some hideous fucking loser that looked like he couldn't get a girlfriend if he tried? Was that why she was killing herself laughing?

Sakura bent over, a hand clutching her flat stomach, still laughing her ass off.

"What's so funny?" Neji asked, quirking a brow in interest.

The bubblegum haired woman gathered herself before stating, "Who said I was asking for a _date_?" She winked, "If anyone asks about why you're with me, we can just say I'm a high school friend and we were doing some catching up."

"Um...I..."

"Nice plan, ne?. Now, do you want to get some ramen or not? Remember, my treat."

Neji sighed deeply before meeting emerald with pearl, "Fine."

A smile crossed her features, "Good."

She grabbed his hand once more and lifted him off of the bench. Sakura, he found out, was quite strong for such a slender woman. Forest green orbs smiled up at him as her mouth formed into a sheepish, yet endearing smile, "Oh, um..."

Neji looked down at her, wondering what she was going to say next.

"...what _is_ your name?"

* * *

His name was Neji, she found out on their way to the ramen shop. 

"Ah..." Sakura said, smelling the fragrance of ramen wafting from the small stand that stood in front of them. "Smells like something good."

"Aa..." Neji acknowledged, giving a slight nod of his head.

"Let's go order!" Sakura said to the Hyuuga man, racing over to the stands and immediately taking a seat.

_Strange...how she can be so like a child, and yet..._

His thoughts were interrupted by Sakura's voice calling out to him. "C'mon, Neji!"

Smiling to himself, he walked over by the suddenly energetic girl and took a seat beside her, and immediately, the owner of the shop asked who he was. It was a tall man with spiky blonde hair and crystal clear blue eyes, three whisker marks adorned each of his cheeks. "Oi, Sakura-chan who is this?" A smirk crawled across his tanned features. "A new..._boyfriend_? I didn't think you'd get over Sasuke-teme so quickly."

"Naruto, if you want to be able to have kids with that girlfriend of yours, you'd better shut the hell up." Sakura growled, and Neji took note that her mood seemed to change on a dime.

The man, Naruto, Neji figured his name was, just chuckled and raised his hands in a gesture of defeat, "Now, now, you can't do that to a man, Sakura-chan. That would be too cruel. And you know Ino-chan wants kids..."

"Just ix-nay on the asuke-Say, comprenday?" Sakura said, glaring at him.

"Comprenday, cause I want to keep my alls-bay." Naruto chuckled, turning to stir some ramen that was bubbling in a pot. Smiling in a dopey manner, he changed the subject, "I guess it's your usual chicken ramen that you want, ne?"

"Of course." Sakura said as if it were obvious.

Naruto turned to Neji, "And for you?"

"I'll just have the beef ramen." The brunette said simply.

"Ah, good choice." Naruto turned to the food that was cooking and began stirring, "Coming right up."

Sakura smiled, but it seemed forced. The subject of this Sasuke person must be a sore spot for her. Neji concluded not to ask her about it.

"So...is that all you've been doing all day? Drawing that pond?" Sakura attempted to start idle conversation.

Neji looked to the notepad that rested on his lap and sighed, "Yeah. Took me all day to get it just right. I actually just got done when you showed up."

"It really was a gorgeous drawing." Sakura complimented, looking Neji in his silver depths. The brunette smiled at her in thanks.

"_Nature? Why do you want to draw that? It's just a bunch of birds and shit. It seems so **boring**!"_

Neji shook his head, trying to rid what Tenten said to him before he left the apartment that morning. Sakura must've noticed, for she gave him a weird look, "Are you alright?"

"Hm?" Neji turned, looking into Sakura's eyes, such gorgeous, forest green eyes...

He wanted to paint her portrait.

"Neji, you're staring."

Laughing it off, Neji realized her cheeks were tinted with a slight pink blush, matching the color of her hair. He then focused his gaze onto the bowl of ramen that had just been placed in front of him. Taking his chopsticks in his large, slender hand, he began to dig into the steaming bowl of beef flavored noodles.

But, even as he ate the savory food, he couldn't keep his eyes from wandering to the cherry blossom seated next to him.

* * *

"Thanks for the ramen..." Neji offered lamely as the two walked down the sidewalk. It had become night a while ago, and both he and the pink haired girl were walking calmly through the district where Sakura lived, their only light was the pale gleam of streetlights, helping them see in the dark night. 

"No problem." Sakura said simply, waving a hand at him as if it weren't a big deal.

The two walked a little bit further, and they came upon a large apartment complex. The pink haired girl stepped in front of him and walked up the sidewalk to the large glass door that led into the lobby. "Here's my apartment." She stated simply, turning to walk in, but before she did, she turned to Neji, "Ya know, I had a pretty damn good time...it helped me get my mind off of a lot of things that have been bothering me. Thanks."

"Don't thank me. You're the one who treated me." Neji said realistically.

"Well, that's right. But, I'm just glad you accepted the offer. I was going to be bored all day otherwise. Haha..."

Neji smiled back and saw Sakura turn to go into the lobby, "Hey..." He called out.

"Hm?" She looked at him in wonder. "What?"

The brunette Hyuuga walked up to her, "You really liked that drawing, ne?"

"Um...I..." Sakura struggled, "...yes, I did."

"Well, then," Neji said, taking the aforementioned drawing out of his notepad, scribbled something in the corner of it before handing it to the girl in front of him, "here you go."

"But," Sakura was at a loss for words, "I...I couldn't. You spent all day working on this and...to just give it away seems silly..."

"Now...you're the only one who seems to like my work besides my girlfriend...why shouldn't I give it to you?"

"But - "

"Besides, I owe you for treating me to ramen."

Sakura finally gave up the struggle and looked at the drawing in her hands, "Thank you, Neji." She said gratefully, opening the door to the apartment complex.

"Goodnight, Sakura."

Turning her head to smile at him, she returned the gesture, "Goodnight."

Sakura shut the door behind her and walked to the elevator, where she pressed the button that would deliver her to her floor. She was just halfway there when she saw it.

Her jaw dropped when she saw, printed in fine, airy cursive...

_Hyuuga Neji_

_555-3310_

* * *

_**End Chapter Two.**_

_Well, I hope you enjoyed that little bit of NejiSaku action. I know I enjoyed it while I wrote it! Haha. You're lucky because I was determined to finish this chapter in one day, and I DID! Haha, beat that, peeps!_

_Don't do that, I was joking..._

_Anyway, I hope you like the chapter, and I hope even more that you will review with your comments!_

_Ciao, everyone!_


	3. Quandary

_**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto!_

_Wow! Thanks for all your kind reviews! I'm glad so many people like this story, when I was so skeptical about it at first. So, here's chapter three!_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

**Sketches  
****Chapter Three: Quandary**

_

* * *

I feel faint..._

The Haruno woman couldn't seem to take her eyes off of the drawing, specifically where the handsome brunette's phone number resided, and her heart seemed to be beating at a unusually fast rate as she ran her fingers over the picture's sleek surface.

Her heart hadn't beat like this since Sasuke...

She shook her head. _No! Sakura, you can't let that get to you! Besides...a cute, artsy type just gave you his number! But, wait..._

"_I have a girlfriend."_

Sakura then growled, "Wait! Why would he give me his number if he had a _girlfriend_?!" She clenched rosy pink strands between her fingers in frustration. "Dammit!" She cursed, rather loudly, and wished she didn't when her roommate came out of her room.

Ino yawned, stretching slightly and rubbing her weary eyes. She wore only a dark purple nightgown that skimmed her knees and was spaghetti strapped. It was slightly see-through, and hugged her curves tightly, leaving nothing to the imagination, "Sa-Sakura?" She said sleepily, "It's late, what are you doing up?"

"I just got in..." She admitted sheepishly, glancing down at the paper in her hands. Trying to delay the topic as of _why _she was in so late, she added, "Why are you dressed like that, Ino?"

The blonde very suddenly looked as wide awake as possible as a blush graced her features and she covered her chest with her hands, "Um...well..."

Sakura smiled warmly, "Waiting for Naruto, ne?"

The cerulean eyed girl looked down at her bare feet and sighed dreamily, "Yeah...since eight."

Emerald eyes looked up to the clock, which read ten fifteen. Ino had waited that long? When Sakura left the ramen stand it was about ten, so, Naruto must have had a busy night. She enlightened Ino by telling her this, and a relieved look washed over her best friend's features.

"Whew!" Ino said, rubbing her forehead with her arm, "I had all these strange thoughts running through my head...I thought he might be cheating on me with - "

"Hinata?" Sakura offered, "Ino, Naruto is completely in love with _you_. Hinata was his girlfriend waaay back in high school for crying out loud!"

Ino gave a weary smile, "Thanks, Sakura..."

After smiling back, Sakura moved to the cabinet and took out two packets of hot cocoa mix, "I'm gonna make you some..." She said as she took out two mugs from the cabinet and sat them on the kitchen table.

"Do you need to talk to me about something?" Ino asked curiously, walking over to the table and taking a seat. "You always make us hot cocoa when you want to tell me something."

Sakura giggled, "You know me all too well."

After a couple of minutes, the cocoa was made, and while sipping it, Sakura told all. About the mysterious man named Hyuuga Neji, how they went out to ramen, and at last how he gave her his drawing with his name and number written so very neatly at the bottom of it.

Ino drunk in all of this information, along with the cocoa, and nodded understandingly, "You should call him, Sakura."

The rosette haired girl shot up from her cocoa, "But...but _why_?"

The blonde scoffed as she adjusted her nightgown, "It's obvious that he's interested in you. And, why _shouldn't_ you call him?"

"I just...can't."

"Is this because of Sasuke?" Ino suddenly snapped, "Because I've told you time and time again, Sasuke is a heartless, emotionless bastard, and you can do so much better. You shouldn't waste your life - "

"He has a girlfriend."

Ino choked on her cocoa.

"_Seriously_?" She managed to get out between gasps for air, "And he told you this?"

"Yup."

"_Before_ the ramen?"

"Yup."

"Oh, Sakura, Sakura, Sakura..." Ino chimed, swirling a spoon in her chocolate beverage.

"What is it?"

"I'll tell you this," Ino began, setting her drink on the table with a firm _clink_. "Call him, be friends with him, and see where that goes...just don't become the _other woman_. You wouldn't want to do to someone what Sasuke and that brunette bitch did to you, ne?"

Sakura looked sad for a minute, then chirped up, "Yeah, good idea!" She nearly bounced over to the cordless phone that hung on the side of the wall. She was halfway into dialing his number when Ino interrupted her.

"Um, Sakura?"

Sakura looked up at her roommate, "Yes?"

"Ya know, he's probably asleep right now."

The Haruno girl's eyes wandered to the clock, "Oh! It's already midnight We've talked awhile, huh?" Sakura giggled, "I'll call him tomorrow."

With that, Sakura raced into her room to get ready for bed.

_God, Sakura...you always seem to chase after those painful loves..._

Ino heard the pink haired girl's exasperated sigh in the other room, and smiled bitterly.

_...but I hope this one works out for you._

* * *

It had been at least two hours since Sakura had prepared herself for bed and laid down onto her downy sheets, feeling somewhat anxious, since she knew Ino was in the kitchen, desperately waiting for Naruto. She would love to be spared hearing the moans in the room that was across the hall from hers. 

That wasn't the only thing she was anxious about, though.

Sighing for what seemed like the millionth time that night, she turned on her side and stared at the drawing that she had perched by her alarm clock and her favorite stuffed teddy bear. Sakura gazed at the carefully drawn picture. The man was definitely talented, Sakura knew that much.

She pictured him in her mind.

His long, chestnut hair, falling in front of his face ever-so-carelessly. Intense, white eyes that seemed to bore into her. Very muscular arms, slightly tanned. And she could see that he had a very well built chest through his flimsy, worn-down clothes. Long, slender fingers that gripped that drawing pencil so gently, with so much enthusiasm for what he was doing.

She imagined his deep, attractive voice calling out her name.

"_Sakura..."_

It sent involuntary chills up and down her spine.

She flipped over on her other side, as if to avoid the drawing. _Don't think about him, Sakura...you can't._

The sound of a key in the lock of the door awakened her out of her thoughts. Sakura listened intently, and got bits and pieces of their conversation in her conscious.

"Ino-chan! Sorry I'm late."

"You might as well be Kakashi! You're always late!"

"Don't be mad!"

"I'm not...I just worry about you..."

"Ino-chan..."

Silence.

"Mmnn..."

"You look very nice, Ino-chan."

Sakura could practically see Ino blush through the door. _Who wouldn't? Naruto seemed so sincere when he uttered those words..._

Sighing she turned on her back for what seemed like the thousandth time that night, and smiled when she heard Ino's words.

"Well, I _should_. It was for you."

"Want to take this to the bedroom?" Sakura heard Naruto say in a very sensual, caring whisper.

Ino giggled.

Sakura almost giggled as well. When did Naruto, the prank-playing, immature, little brat become so...so..._sexy_?

She heard the door to the bedroom across the hall from her close slightly and a girlish giggle after it.

_Ino's lucky...she's fallen in love with a great guy. And he loves her to death. _Sakura mused proudly, closing her eyes finally, but they were met with a very unwanted sight.

A pair of onyx eyes greeted her.

Emerald ones snapped open, and Sakura growled.

_Yeah...and I had to fall for a jerk who didn't give a shit about me._ _And he had to cheat on me with that buxom, gorgeous brunette woman! _

To say the least, Sakura didn't get that much sleep that night.

* * *

Neji tossed and turned in his sleep that night. 

_Idiot!_

_Damn idiot!_

_What were you thinking, giving her your number like that?_

_Fucking stupid moron!_

As if the barrage of voices in his head wasn't enough to keep him from sleeping peacefully, he had the image of Sakura's green orbs engraved in his mind. Her voice, the way she walked, the intoxicating scent of cherries that permeated the air around her, he thought of all of it...and he didn't know why.

_What the hell is **wrong** with me?! _

Tenten sat up beside him, running a hand through her loose hair, causing it to fall away from her face, "Neji, are you alright?" She asked concernedly. "You seem distracted."

The brunette man turned on his side and his eyes were met with those of his worried girlfriend, "It's nothing, Tenten...nothing at all..."

Tenten's eyes narrowed, somewhat playfully, "_Liar_."

Yes, Neji was a terrible person...lying to his _girlfriend _of all people.

But, seriously, did she _really _want to know what had his stomach tied in knots?

"I'm not lying." Neji said in a serious tone.

The brunette woman didn't seem satisfied with that answer, but she accepted it nonetheless, knowing that when asked too many questions, Neji would get mad, and would hold out on certain _aspects _of their relationship.

And those aspects were very, _very _important to Tenten.

"Ne-ji." She said in a sing-song tone, rolling on top of him, and nuzzling her head against the space where his neck and shoulder met. Staying there a minute and inhaling his scent of drawing pencil and the vague smell of the outdoors, she sighed before looking into his pearly orbs.

"You know I love you...and I hate to see you this way..." Tenten said before yawning and stroking her slender fingers across his chest. She laid her head back down on his muscular frame, using it as a firm pillow. "So just try and sleep."

"Yeah...sure..."

Soon, the sound of Tenten's slowed breathing signaled she was asleep.

Guilt clouded Neji's mind.

Tenten loved him so much, and what was he doing? Thinking about some girl with bright pink hair...without her knowing! Wasn't that classified as adultery? Of course Neji and Tenten weren't married, but technically they were living together...don't married people live together?

_Of course they do...unless they're like **my **parents... _Neji thought pessimistically, wrapping a taught, slim arm around the woman's waist.

That aside, Neji couldn't rid one particularly terrible thing from his mind.

That when Tenten had caressed his figure so lovingly, when she had whispered his name so playfully, when she had climbed onto him so tenderly...he had pictured her brunette hair becoming shorter and changing into petal pink, those pools of brown becoming dazzling emerald, and a bright smile plastered onto the seductive one Tenten had given him.

"Sa...kura..." Neji said it as a whisper, so Tenten couldn't hear. But he loved how her name rolled off his tongue.

Ironically, the thing that kept him awake all night, was the one person who helped him sleep.

* * *

_**End Chapter Three.**_

_I hoped you enjoyed this third chapter. I think their reactions to the whole thing were important to get, so that's the point of this chapter. So, if it was boring to you, I'm really sorry. But still, I'd like you to leave a review. I'd really appreciate it!_

_If anything, I hoped you enjoyed the little NaruIno thing I threw in there to liven it up. _

_Ciao!_


	4. For Reasons Unknown

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Naruto._

_Okay, after a very long wait, here's chapter four of "Sketches". I hope you enjoy! I am so grateful to all my reviewers and everyone who likes this fic! So please read this chapter with happiness knowing that I thought of all of you when I was writing it! (Damn, that was stupid. LOL)_

_Here ya go!_

* * *

**Sketches  
****Chapter Four: For Reasons Unknown**

* * *

"Tilt your head a bit." 

The masculine voice of Neji rang throughout his studio apartment, gently telling his brown haired model what to do. He put his lead stained hand to his chin, the markings from his pencil smearing slightly onto his milky skin. His pearly orbs scrutinized the movement that Tenten put into doing his command.

She tilted her head to the side in a regal manner, slightly looking out of the window beside her. The girl was currently seated in a chair clothed in nothing but a short, white, cotton bathrobe that was cropped so it skimmed her thighs. She had her legs crossed underneath a small, round table put in front of the large window that overlooked the street by his house. It was almost as if she were taking a shower, and had gotten out of the bath as soon as Neji had gotten inspiration to draw (this inspiration was somewhat a creation of boredom, for the only object Neji craved to draw was the Haruno girl). Her hair was tied into two low, wet pigtails on either side of her head, the result of her buns coming down.

Neji gave his approval, "Yes, like that. Just keep looking like that."

Tenten inhaled deeply, then exhaled. Sometimes, she found her being drawn by Neji completely erotic. Other times, she was really impatient with him and wanted to walk around. Sometimes it was both, which usually resulted in something odd.

The brunette Hyuuga sketched her. He had to get the lines of her arms, legs, neck...everything right, for he was a perfectionist, and settled for nothing that was not accurate or far from the truth.

And he wouldn't lie. Like the one time, early on in their relationship, Neji drew Tenten for the first time, and didn't endow her breasts well, she complained and wondered if she really was flat like that, for she thought she was actually quite gifted.

Neji had just reassured her, and said he loved her no matter how large certain assets were.

He had his doubts about the love thing now, which pained him because Tenten had no clue about his real feelings. And he didn't even know why he didn't feel as strongly about her as he used to.

He inhaled deeply through his mouth, closing his eyes as he did so, and held in the breath for a while.

A flash of pink and green entered his subconscious.

His eyes shot open as he let out his held breath. Was Sakura the reason he was feeling distant from his girlfriend?

No, no. That gap between them had started a while ago for reasons Neji didn't particularly know of. But with the appearance of the pink haired, green eyed girl that he felt compelled to draw, he felt the gap between them grow.

"Neji." Tenten said with as little movement as possible. This process had been going on for quite a long time and her stomach was growling with hunger.

"I'm almost - " The phone rang. "Shit, don't move, Tenten."

"Mmhm." Tenten replied without moving her lips.

"Hello?" His deep, rich voice said over the phone.

"Hello, Neji? This is Sakura...Haruno Sakura."

"Of course." Neji had to hide his excitement. She called him! The little number trick worked!

"Neji, I got work!" Tenten shouted from her seated position, looking up at the rather large clock that was mounted on the wall behind her.

The Hyuuga turned and looked at her, nodding his head that it was okay to get dressed and leave for her work. Tenten sighed, relieved, and walked over to him, giving him a peck on the cheek, before walking into the bedroom to get some clothes on.

"Who was that?" Sakura's curiously innocent voice asked over the phone.

"My girlfriend."

It grew quiet over the other line.

"Ah," Sakura finally muttered, not knowing exactly what to say to that statement.

"So...any particular reason why you called?"

Neji didn't actually care if there was a reason. She called, so he was happy she didn't totally ignore him. Just hearing her voice...made him oddly happy.

"Hm? Oh, um...I knew what I was gonna ask when I called, but it seems to have slipped my mind." Sakura said. He could tell by the developing tone of her voice that she was beginning to get agitated with herself.

"I know, why don't we go out for lunch and you can tell me then."

"Sounds good to me, Neji." She said kindly. Neji could almost see her smiling through the phone. "I'm off work today, so where do you want to go?"

"How about that restaurant beside the ramen stand we went to last night?"

"The old hamburger joint?" Sakura asked, "No one hardly ever goes there..."

"Is that a problem?"

"Oh, no." Sakura quickly covered up, "Not at all!"

"Good. So at around twelve thirty?"

"Yeah, I'll meet you at the door."

"It's been good talking to you."

"Yeah, same here..."

_I wish it could last longer... _Neji found himself thinking. "Alright, see you there, Sakura."

"Alright, bye."

"Bye."

_Click_.

He sighed as he laid the phone on the hook and then stretched, his hands moving above his head, muscles rippling in them and his back as he did so. The brunette closed his eyes and yawned languorously. _Good job, Neji. You have balls after all._

A pair of slender arms encircled around his slim waist in a friendly embrace, "I'm off, Neji." She whispered in his ear, lips mere centimeters from the shell of it.

"Be careful."

"I will."

With that, Tenten walked out the door and to her workplace.

_I'm such an ass..._

* * *

"You look awfully hippy skippy today, Sakura-chan." A boxer-clad, shirtless Naruto said from the kitchen, "Was I not the only one who got lucky last night?" 

Color raced to Sakura's cheeks.

"Idiot!" Ino blushed crimson as she smacked the moronic blonde upside his head.

"Aw, Ino-chan, you know it's true!" The poor man said, clenching the area of his head where a knot was already forming.

"You're still an _idiot_." Ino said through clenched teeth, her blush still not ceasing.

"But you love my idiot-ness."

"Shut up."

Naruto closed his eyes in a bright smile. "Ne, Sakura-chan, seriously, why do you have that look? The look you used to have when you and Sas - "

He received yet another blow to the head by his girlfriend. "Idiots need to learn to keep their mouths _shut _about certain things."

Sakura shook her head, ignoring the tug at her heart when Naruto almost said the name of her ex. "I called him, Ino!" She said rather giddily, pushing all other feelings aside other than her excitement over calling the Hyuuga youth.

"That cute brunette that gave you his number? Yay, Sakura!" Ino leaped over to the carnation haired girl's side, smiling with her pearly white teeth.

"We're having lunch today." Sakura smiled in accomplishment, "At that little hamburger joint by the ramen stand."

"But no one ever goes there." Naruto, now with a killer headache, piped up.

"That's what I told him, but he didn't care. Neither do I, as a matter of fact."

"Aw, Sa-ku-ra-chaaaaaan," Naruto replied in a sickeningly sweet tone. "That's so sweet. But if he hurts you, I'll kill him!" His deep blue orbs faintly glimmered with utter seriousness at that statement. "No one hurts Sakura-chan and gets away with it!"

"I know..." Sakura could still remember the image of Sasuke's bruised and battered form, nose bleeding, eyes swollen, split lip, kicking him in an "area"...the works after Naruto had found about his cheating nature. He really kicked the shit out of him. He remembered his words after the deed had been done.

_"Let's see if any girl would want to fuck you now!"_

After which, he had picked up up by his collar and punched him straight in the nose for the umpteenth time, most likely breaking it due to Sasuke's scream of utter horror during and after that certain assault.

She gave a knowing, thankful smile, remembering it all, "Yes..."

"Dattebayo!" He exclaimed with a clenched fist.

"Down boy," Ino chuckled, placing a slender hand on his bare shoulder.

Sakura giggled as Ino automatically calmed the spirited blonde down, surprisingly.

"Now go get dressed. We're still going to the park today, right?"

"Ah, but you know you love seeing my sexiness out in the open like this." It wasn't a lie. Naruto had matured over the years. Taut muscle covered every visible inch of his body. He had strong arms, and gorgeous pectorals and calves. He was muscular in body, but not to the point where it was like steroid abuse.

Ino blushed and rolled her eyes jokingly. She lightly pushed his shoulder, feeling the soft skin underneath her palm and silently enjoying the contact, "Just _go_."

"Alright, alright," Naruto said, sounding almost like a little kid, wandering over to Ino's room to get some fresh clothes. He kept extra clothes at their apartment in case he did spend the night like that, which he often did.

Ino looked at her friend, "I should go get dressed as well, Sakura." She tucked a strand of loose, light blonde hair behind her ear, "Maybe you should too...what time do you meet him?"

"Twelve thirty."

"And it takes about fifteen minutes to walk there..." Ino pondered in her head. "Well, it's eleven thirty right now, so...uh...you figure it out..." She smiled brightly at her best friend.

"I'm about to get dressed, Ino..." Sakura sweatdropped, smiling nervously.

"Okay!" Ino said, walking lively to her bedroom, where the half-nude Naruto still was with his boxers halfway off, undressing in plain sight with the door open. "_Naruto_!" She scolded.

"Aw, Ino-chan, Sakura-chan's seen it before."

"But that was because you forgot to lock the bathroom door when you were taking a shower!"

"You are the one without a shower curtain!"

"You tore the curtain down!"

"Oh yeah, that was a good night..." Naruto remembered, a perverted smile making its way onto his boyishly handsome face.

Ino stopped, remembering that particular escapade, "Oh, yeah..."

"Oh, God..." Sakura groaned, running a hand through her bubblegum colored locks, "You two are like horny rabbits!"

"We are not horny rabbits!"

"We just love each other!" Naruto exclaimed quite earnestly, making Ino look like a tomato with blonde hair.

Ino looked at the blonde boy with wonderment in her eyes.

"Right?" Naruto said, looking into her clear blue eyes.

"Right." She reassured.

Sakura smiled, happy for the two. But she couldn't help being a little jealous. She had thought she found the one to spend the rest of her life with. The one who she loved with all her heart. She thought he felt the same. She was wrong. But these two had found the genuine thing. Genuine love for one other person. Not every girl or guy they laid their eyes on. Who wouldn't be just a little jealous? But the glad feeling that they were truly happy outshone the jealousy.

_I wonder if there is someone like that out there for me._

* * *

Sakura arrived at the hamburger joint a few minutes early. She was dressed in a simple pair of khaki pants that were slightly baggy around the legs but hugged her hips snugly. A pair of simple sandals adorned her feet. The shirt she wore was a midnight black that showed how slim she was; it was cut in a scoop neck that accentuated her lovely shoulders and neck. She wore two silver barrettes on each side of her head, holding back just a bit of hair. Around her neck was a silver chain with a diamond hanging from it. 

She had decided to not dress like she was too desperate or trying to steal him away from his girlfriend, which she most definitely _wasn't _going to do. She had decided that from the start. That if he wanted to be with her, he would have to break it off with his girlfriend, which is what should be done in all cases.

_Someone should have told Sasuke __**that **__particular fact. _She thought bitterly as she toyed with a bit of hair at the nape of her neck.

Sighing, she looked out at the crowd of people passing her on the side walk. _I hope he wouldn't stand me up like that..._ She looked into the window of the hamburger place to gaze at the large clock. He still had five minutes to be there so she shouldn't start freaking out just yet.

She went back to scanning the crowd.

A rush of excitement washed over her when she finally locked her gaze on the artsy Hyuuga man crossing the street to get to her. A bright, hopeful smile immediately formed on her face.

_He came!_

Neji smiled handsomely back at her from across the crowd, making her heart speed up and color make its way to cheeks.

But the next thing she saw made her heart seem to stop beating whatsoever.

Unbeknown to Neji, there were two figures walking behind him toward the restaurant as well.

Neji had made it over to Sakura and smiled charmingly toward her, "Nice day, ne?"

Sakura swallowed, not totally focusing her gaze on the Hyuuga man, "Y-Yes..."

"What's wrong?"

The question seemed to go right over Sakura's head, as she didn't answer it, just stared in shock at the two figures that were still walking to the burger joint.

The most dominating figure was the tall, slender, pale man that walked with a confident stride. His raven black hair hung in front of his face, framing his cheeks and forehead. Two onyx black eyes stared in an almost emotionless confidence as he walked toward them.

_S-Sasu...ke..._

The other was a girl, she could tell. She had waist-length navy blue hair that was left to freely fly about in the breeze. It was her innocent, pearly orbs that distinguished her to Sakura the most. She knew this girl! And what was more surprising than seeing her ex-boyfriend was seeing her ex-boyfriend with _this girl_.

She was shocked to say the least.

"Sakura...you okay?" Neji asked concernedly.

"Y-Yes." A lie. She felt queasy

What was Uchiha Sasuke doing with Hyuuga Hinata?!

* * *

_**End Chapter Four.**_

_Ne, ne? Did you like it, hate it, or just don't care? Please leave me your comments and things! I really appreciate them!_

_I hope you enjoyed that little twist in the end. Hee hee. I know I enjoyed writing it very much. (smiles)_

_And I do believe I have some suppressed rage against Sasuke. Gosh, I must really hate that boy somewhere deep within me. I haven't noticed it until now. Maybe I've just always wanted to see Naru-kun beat the shit out of Sasuke-teme for being mean to Sakura, but I really loved writing about how Naru-kun showed him not to take advantage of Sakura. I am too evil to him, but I can't say he doesn't deserve it! Teme..._

_Okay, so please press the pretty button and leave me some feedback!_

_Arigato!_


	5. Cause and Effect

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Naruto!_

_Thanks to everyone for the support! And I am so sorry for making y'all think that this story was dead! It isn't and I am going to try my hardest to finish it!_

_So, without any further interruptions, here's chapter five!_

* * *

**Sketches  
****Chapter Five: Cause and Effect**

* * *

It was like she was drowning. 

Seeing the two together, such polar opposites, yet they looked rather..._happy_.

The whole feeling that resulted from her seeing her ex-boyfriend and one of her high school friends together felt like that of drowning. Water filling her lungs, preventing her from screaming out (oh, how she wanted to scream out!), or else it would ruin her life. And actually yelling out to Sasuke in jealousy and hurt would give the bastard a smug sense of satisfaction, she knew, and that in itself was worse than dying.

Sakura had to ignore the tug at the edges of her heart as Sasuke's toned arm wrapped around Hinata's waist as the two entered the restaurant. His liquid onyx depths cut toward the pink haired girl, as if mocking her, and he gave a smirk as he turned back to brush his lips onto the crown of the shorter girl.

He used to treat her in the same way.

Those loving glances, the slight caress of his lips against her head, the arm around her...so many things that she knew she wasn't going to get back.

Despite the hurt it caused her, she had resolved firmly in her mind that she would never, _ever_ give the bastard another chance after what he had done to her.

"Sakura...there's something wrong..." Neji's voice finally broke into her thoughts, ringing out like a clear bell through her mind.

Her emerald orbs flew up to meet his face, "Oh, no, Neji. I'm fine." She closed them in a bright - albeit fake - smile as he opened the door for her to go in.

"That's good." Neji said, although he knew she was lying through her teeth. She had just seen something that bothered her greatly. The brunette Hyuuga himself might have missed it, but something had caused her to go into a daze, her usually sparkling green eyes had taken a dull appearance. It made him realize that there was something underneath her kind, cheery exterior that she was hiding.

Not that he had expected her to tell him everything about what was wrong. It was none of his business, after all. They had only actually interacted with each other for a few days. And he respected her privacy by not prying too much more into the subject as to why she was so shaken up by whatever the hell she had seen.

Those thoughts were dissolved by a woman coming up to them. Her sandy blonde hair was pulled back into four separate, spiky ponytails, and her ocean blue orbs immediately softened once she saw Sakura standing there with the Hyuuga man, "Oi, Sakura, it's been a while since we saw you here." She said in a friendly manner, giving her a toothy grin.

"Yes, it has, Temari!" Sakura said, giving the woman a smile. Unlike the one before, this one did not seem forced and fake. "Hopefully your food has gotten good." She said playfully.

"Oh, better than it was before." Temari said, giving her a confident, friendly wink in reassurance. "Since I came into the picture, of course..."

Sakura smiled, "Knowing you, you probably bossed everyone into submission."

Temari lightly conked the crown of the pink haired girl's head with her fist, "Oi, I could just skip out on giving you and your..." She paused for a moment, taking in Neji's appearance with a renewed smile, "..._friend_ a table."

"Aw, now that wouldn't be good, Temari. You know I am one of your best customers." Sakura said with a chuckle.

"Oh, best customer as in to not show around here for a two week period." The sandy blonde quirked an eyebrow whilst smirking, blue eyes looking at her with a friendliness that Neji admired, for he had no really close friends other than his girlfriend, and a couple of other choice people.

"Ah, you know I have work at my restaurant. Waitressing..." Sakura returned the wink Temari gave her just a few moments before.

"Yes, yes, excuses, excuses..." Temari clapped a hand on each of the twosome's shoulders and showed Sakura and Neji to a table. A beautiful, scenic one beside the window, overlooking the street and the bustling city. Once the two were seated, the blonde took out her order book and a pen and asked, "What would you like to drink?"

"Tea, please." Sakura said, meeting her emerald orbs with Temari's ocean blue ones.

Temari looked to Neji, waiting for his reply.

"I'll have the same." The brunette Hyuuga said, also looking at her. At this time, Temari noted what an intense stare this guy had for his age. She estimated that he was just one year older than Sakura at the least. Those white eyes...something within them seemed..._guilty_ that he was here.

"Alright," Temari said, taking out two menus and setting them on the table in front of each customer, "I'll be back with your drinks and until then, you can look at which of our great dishes to order."

And, with one of her trademark winks, she was off to fix their tea.

Sakura sighed whilst running a hand through cotton candy colored strands, "That Temari..." She chuckled, "She's always full of that sarcastic energy."

The Hyuuga man laughed along with her, "Yes...but you two seem very close."

Closing her eyes in a bright smile, she nodded happily, "Yes, we were best girl friends in high school. It was me, Temari, Ino, Hinata - " She felt a sudden pang in her heart, _Hinata is with Sasuke. Right there. Across the room from you. _She shook her head slightly, " - yes, it was the Four Musketeers."

Neji chuckled at her recollection of her high school friends, before asking, "Hinata...Hyuuga Hinata?"

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"She's my cousin." Neji stated proudly, "It's a coincidence that you were friends with her in high school."

"Yes..." Sakura smiled at him, connecting her emerald orbs with his pearly ones. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the new couple begin to stir...and, it looked like they were...

_Walking toward us?! Why the hell are they walking over here?! Asshole Sasuke...!_

Neji noticed that Sakura's eyes took on a startled, yet sad look, "Is there anything wrong?"

Sakura didn't have time to answer that, for in a matter of seconds, a strong, pale hand was slammed onto the table in between both of the diners. The Haruno woman didn't have to look up to know who it was; actually, she didn't want to look up and see him face to face. His cheating face...

"Hey, Sakura," Sasuke spoke with that same arrogant tone he used back during childhood and teenage years, the voice that made all the adolescent girls shiver and quake with excitement.

It was at this time that Sakura knew that she and Ino had been damn _fools _to fall for this one.

Breaking her pact of not looking at the bastard, Sakura turned her head and met fiery emerald with cool obsidian, "What do you want?"

"Just to say hey, is all," Sasuke replied, his smirk widening, "Wow, you've moved on fast. He must just be a - "

"Don't talk about him like that," Sakura almost shouted at him. "We're just friends. And if you think you are ever going to intimidate me with that sad old routine, you are terribly mistaken."

The Uchiha looked at the girl, his gaze not wavering, "Sorry for the intrusion. I'll leave..."

"Sasuke." Her voice was curt, sharp, and no nonsense.

He stopped for a moment, turning to look at the woman who he once had feelings for, "Aa."

"If you hurt Hinata, I swear, I'll - "

"Oh, I _won't_. She's not you."

After that, he turned and walked off. Sakura felt good that she had resisted the urge to jump across the table and hit him, but still, she'd love to hear the sound of his nose cracking... And no matter how much she felt glad he was gone, his searing commentary still had its place in Sakura's subconscious. She still had no idea why she got so worked up when he began to attack Neji...or her reasons for being here with him.

She was here with him because he was nice, kind, and a very understanding individual. Sakura thought they could become good friends, and she already thought they were on the way to that.

She wasn't here for romantic liaisons...

That dream she had about him last night did _not _count, though.

Sakura saw Neji's curious gaze and sighed exasperatedly, her temper having cooled off somewhat. Just as she was about to open her mouth to say something, Temari came back with their drinks and sat them down in front of them. Out of curiosity, the blonde woman prodded, "Did Uchiha just talk to you? Did he say something mean? Because if he did, I'll ask him to leave, if you want."

"No, because then he'll think he won." Sakura said defiantly. And no matter how childish it sounded, it was the truth. Because in her eyes, Sasuke _was _childish.

Temari chuckled, "Same old Sakura." Her cerulean depths gazed at the menus, "Have you decided on what you want?"

Sakura smiled despite her angrily beating heart. She always knew what she wanted at this burger joint, "Yeah. Cheeseburger with the works and Cajun fries."

"Ah, the usual for Sakura..." Temari scribbled something on her notebook before turning to Neji, "And for the hot guy."

"Temari!"

"It's the truth, honey."

Neji could feel his cheeks heat up, "Uh...yeah, I want a hamburger with everything except ketchup...and regular fries."

The blonde scribbled something else in her notebook and smiled, "Alright, I'll be back." And she was off.

"You don't like ketchup, Neji?"

"Ah...no, no, no, I don't..." The brunette replied, "Oh, I'm sorry if it's weird or anything."

"No, it's actually cool!"

"That I don't like ketchup?"

"Oh...I mean that I got to know something else about you." Sakura smiled brightly, "See, normally, I would have no idea what you like and dislike, so I would probably end up cooking something and putting lots of ketchup on it."

Neji chuckled, "So you're saying you'd cook for me?"

The pink haired girl couldn't help but blush. She didn't even know why. But the tone in which he asked that...it made her just..._happy_ and feel like she was a kid again, on a first date with a new -

No! She couldn't start to think that way! Neji had a girlfriend. _And judging by what a great guy he is, he must have a really amazing girlfriend... _She thought, dismissing everything she previously thought.

Sakura laughed and connected her eyes with Neji's, a blush faint on her cheeks, "I dunno about that. I don't really have any cooking experience."

"That's alright. If you can't, I'll cook for you."

_Wow...he's so __**kind**__. Oh, crap! I'm blushing again! C'mon, Sakura, get yourself together! _

"If you _can_."

"Oh, I _will_."

Sakura missed such playful banter. Now she knew why Naruto and Ino carelessly joked like that so much.

"Here's your food!" Temari announced cheerfully, laying down two plates full of steaming food in front of each respective orderer. "Enjoy!" Before she walked away, she added, "It's on the house, this one, Sakura. So next time I'm at the ramen stand, tell Naruto to give me a discount!"

Sakura laughed, "Thanks, Temari! And will do!"

Temari walked off, leaving the two with their meals and their thoughts.

"Oi, Sakura..." Neji asked between bites of hamburger, "Do you mind if I ask about that guy that was here earlier?"

Sakura took a bite of fry and swallowed before answering, "Nah, I don't mind."

"So..." Neji searched for the right words to say, "...what is your relationship to - "

"Sasuke." Sakura gave him his name, "He's an ex of mine. We dated for two years...right after we got out of high school."

Neji listened intently, eyes searching for the reason as to why Sakura was so hurt, so seemingly broken by this man, yet she lashed out at him as if he hurt her. He concluded that their relationship must not have ended on a very happy note.

"We went to a party a while back. Neither of us had a drink, but he had the absolute nerve to take advantage of a girl who had way too many," Sakura swirled her straw in her drink as she spoke, looking solemnly into her drink, seeing the reflection of her emerald pools in the caramel brown of the tea, "I...heard people talking about it. I had only took my eyes off him for a split second. Then I heard people talking and Ino ended up coming to me...and she told me where he was...along with this drunken chick he had only met an hour ago."

The brunette Hyuuga looked at her with consideration. He now knew what kind of person that man was, if you could even call him that.

"So I walked back to the room people told me they were in and there they were...naked and in the bed. Caught them in the act." Sakura's usually gentle orbs took on a hurt and angry look, "I broke it off with him the same night."

"I'm sorry..." Neji consoled, being so bold as to place his hand on top of hers.

She looked up, confused forest green meeting calm ivory, "Neji..."

"Oh, it's not like that," Neji explained, "Trying to make you feel better, is all..."

"Well, thanks," Sakura said, giving a smile and feeling her face heat up for what seemed like the millionth time that day. "But I should be the one trying to help you..."

"Why's that?"

"Well, from the looks of it, Sasuke has moved on to your cousin."

"Hi-Hinata?" Neji suddenly felt a protective urge come over him, "He's with _Hinata_...my _cousin_."

Sakura closed her eyes and moved her hand from underneath his large palm. Giving him a light smile, she said with a soft tone, "She's right over there."

Opening her eyes, she moved the emerald irises to the side, as if to point them out without them actually seeing her. Neji turned his head, ever so slightly to see what Sakura had so obviously noticed since the moment they entered the restaurant. Of course, he should've noticed that she was talking about his Hinata when she had said those fighting words to him...

_"If you hurt Hinata, I swear, I'll - "_

"You must be close with Hinata." Sakura interrupted his thought process, looking back in his direction.

"When we were little, I was." Neji admitted with a bitter smile, "Now, we hardly speak. I could hardly recognize her over there...she's grown her hair out." He said that last part as a compliment.

"Ah, well maybe you should call her up next time...ask her how she is." Sakura suggested, "Or you could go over there now and speak."

"No..." Neji shook his head, "Not after how that guy treated you. I don't even want to be in the same space with him. I'll call Hinata later, though. Thanks for the suggestion, Sakura." He gave her a welcoming smile.

"No problem." The girl opposite him smiled brightly, a welcome sight that Neji found himself also smiling to. She motioned to the burgers and fries, "Now, let's eat before this food gets cold."

Neji nodded with a toothy grin and with that, both of them bit into the hamburgers at once.

As Sakura ate, she also had a smile. Despite the drama with seeing Sasuke for the first time since their break up, she felt at peace with her situation at the moment. She enjoyed Neji's company. And, even though she couldn't be with him - not that she had thoughts about that, _no _- she felt like they were on the start to a wonderful friendship, as cliche as that sounded in her mind.

And...

And, something about this...just being with him. Being in his company. Being around him. Having something as simple as a lunch together...

...it felt _right_.

* * *

_**End Chapter Five. **_

_Yesh, I am finally done with chapter five! I hope everyone enjoys what I've written so far, because I have lots of faith in this fanfic! And I hope other people have faith in it as well!_

_So don't worry, next update will try and be sooner! I hope you read and review with your comments!_

_Arigato!_


	6. When It Rains

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Naruto._

_Thanks to everyone who has reviewed this fic! I am so glad that people like it. I hope you like this chapter like you have the other ones!_

_Here ya go!_

* * *

**Sketches  
****Chapter Six: When It Rains**

* * *

It was a great "date". 

Not only was the food exceptionally great, he got to talk with the girl he had been fascinated with for just a few days.

Both of them ate gratefully, chatting up a storm about various topics, such as occupation, ambitions, dreams, relationships, and many other things with which other people would find boring, but the Hyuuga and the Haruno found them instantly mesmerizing, for they were able to find out so much about each other in such a small amount of time.

"What do you usually paint in your pictures, Neji?" Sakura asked, looking up to meet his eyes with hers, her food now gone and only a few crumbs remained on her plate.

"Oh...well," Neji was a little embarrassed to reveal this particular answer, "scenery, bowls of fruit...mostly my girlfriend..."

With the last response he gave her, Neji expected Sakura to cringe back and think he was a pervert. But when she didn't, he was shocked, but only for a moment, for he realized that he didn't exactly say under what conditions that he painted his brunette bombshell.

But Sakura only smiled and said, "That sounds really cool!" She wiped her mouth with a napkin and crumpled it in her palm, "Wow...ya know, that's been something I've wanted to do for a while."

Neji felt his heart skip. She was more into the idea than he thought! He had originally imagined that if he were to paint the pink haired beauty, a little convincing would be needed, but she seemed all up for the idea.

The Hyuuga ventured more into the subject, "So if I asked to sketch you...would you do it?"

Sakura smirked, "Are you asking me now?"

"Maybe." Neji quirked the edges of his mouth upward, "It depends on your answer."

He could see tinges of red make their way onto the carnation haired girl's cheeks and smiled wider.

"And that depends on how good you make me look." Sakura countered, gazing directly into pools of ivory. She swallowed hard. What was she doing? She had to remember to keep the flirty antics down or it would make her look unbecoming in the eyes of someone who was clearly in love with his girlfriend of who knows how long.

"I wouldn't have to alter anything to make that happen."

Sakura felt her breath catch in her throat. She fidgeted slightly and her cheeks were becoming even redder as time went on.

_That - he...is so kind! _She thought, desperately wanting to give into her younger days and let out a girlish squeal at the blatant compliment he gave her. Not only that, but he didn't mention anything about her forehead. She laughed bitterly in her head at the last part.

It was odd. This man...this man had made her feel happier than Sasuke ever did.

But...

But...

They could never be anything more, she knew.

* * *

"S-Sasuke?" 

The Uchiha turned to meet onyx with ivory. Hyuuga Hinata looked at him with a timid stare and a light blush streaked her cheeks, "Is that...Sakura over there?" She asked, looking over to the table by the window where the pink haired girl and her cousin sat, "And...is that Neji?"

"You know him?" This perked Sasuke's interest.

Hinata nodded, "He's my cousin...I haven't seen him in so long." Ivory orbs identical to her cousin's widened, "And...Sakura...she's over there, too. Do you want to go say hello?"

Sasuke shook his head. He had already went over there to say his own special greeting while Hinata was in the bathroom, not wanting to upset her with his actions. "No...but you can, if you want."

"Oh, okay," Hinata said, giving him a warm smile, "I'll be right back."

The navy haired girl scooted back her chair and left the raven eyed man alone when Temari brought him both his and Hinata's food. The sandy blonde gave him a look of disdain and said with a scoff, "Ran another one off, ne?"

Sasuke tilted his chin upward, eyes connecting with Temari's rough, cerulean depths, "No. This one won't do any running."

"Because she's too _kind_, teme."

"She loves me."

"Only because she doesn't know the true you." Temari shot back, not backing down from this particular challenge, "She only knows the wonderful facade you put on."

Sasuke was silent, his eyebrows knitting together as if thinking of something to say. Something finally hit him out of nowhere, as if the thought never even crossed his mind, and he looked up once more fiery onyx meeting cool cerulean, "What makes you think that I don't love her?"

"The fact that it took you that long to ask that question."

And with a satisfied smile on her features, Temari walked back into the kitchen with an air of renewed vigor.

* * *

The patter of footsteps interrupted Neji and Sakura's conversation. Looking up to see what or who it was, Sakura's emerald orbs met that of ivory identical to the man she was sitting across from. "H-Hinata!" She greeted in shock, looking at the woman standing beside their table. "How are you?" 

"Hello, Sakura," The navy haired girl said in return, "I'm alright...thanks for asking..." Her eyes then washed over the brunette man sitting with her high school friend, "Neji, it's been awhile, and it's so nice to see you after all this time."

Neji turned his head and a smile immediately crossed over his features with the sight of his estranged cousin, "Yes, it's the same here, Hinata. What have you been doing?"

"Oh, nothing much. Working at the animal clinic downtown...is all. Ne, what are you doing? Father says you are an artist?" Hinata said the last part as if the mentioned matriarch didn't approve of that position.

"Yes," Neji said, ignoring the feel of inferiority put on him by the head of the family, "Still an artist. My works haven't really been noticed or acclaimed, but I do think that this next subject I'm going to be painting will be my big breakthrough."

"What's that?" Both Sakura and Hinata said in time with each other.

"Oh," A smirk formed on the attractive man's features, "It's better if it's a surprise."

"Aw," Sakura said, looking disappointed, and Hinata seemed to be let down as well.

"Hinata." A soft, yet strong voice made itself known throughout the diner.

The navy haired girl turned, hair flying every which was as she did so, and her ivory orbs connected with Sasuke's deep, black ones, "Oh!" She then turned back to Neji and Sakura, "My food's ready, so I guess I'll be going. Talk to you two later!"

The Hyuuga woman then left the two budding friends to be alone once again. And it was silent a while after, for Sakura felt the stinging pain leap back into her chest when her ex called out Hinata's name...

_No, no. Stop doing this to yourself, Sakura. Sasuke __**deserved **__to be dumped after he cheated on you with that girl... And Hinata didn't know we dated after high school...so, I shouldn't ruin her relationship just because it makes me a little...jealous. _Sakura thought as she turned her head to look out the window beside their booth. Thick, dark gray storm clouds had settled in, covering the once sunny atmosphere. It was funny, it was like her attitude before she saw Sasuke and Hinata together...

"Looks like rain," Sakura offered into the conversation lamely as another waiter placed the check for the food down on the table in between the two.

Neji nodded, "Aa. Lucky I brought my umbrella, ne?"

"You knew it was going to rain?"

"Of course, Sakura," Neji said smugly, with an attractive smirk, "I _did _watch the weather report before I came."

"Oh, you - " Sakura gave a strained smile, slightly interested with his arrogance at this certain subject. She was beginning to learn more and more about him, and she rather liked the feeling.

She couldn't finish her sentence, though, for heavy raindrops began to patter hard on the glass of the window and the roof of the small restaurant, "Oh, dammit!" She cursed her bad luck and fisted a hand in her light pink locks. "I'm gonna get soaked."

"I could take you home." Neji offered, rising from his seat, umbrella in hand. He scooted the chair underneath the table and gave her a reassuring smile once he saw her 'oh-no-i-couldn't-impose' look. "It's no trouble. I don't care if it's out of my way...so don't worry."

Sakura could feel her face heat up for what seemed like the millionth time that day. "Are you sure?"

"Couldn't be more sure even if I tried."

_Damn him! Damn him and all his cool lines! _Sakura cursed in her mind, but kept a sweet, unnerved deposition on the outside. She gave him a smile that said it was okay with her, and he smiled down at her.

Sakura rose from her seat and sighed whilst looking out the window, "Alright." She said as she laid her money down on the counter. "Let's go."

Neji looked at the pink haired girl, "I could've paid for that, ya know..."

Sakura merely chuckled, "It's fine. Don't want you giving up your umbrella and your money."

The Hyuuga man smiled, "Well, if you say so."

The two walked to the door, which Neji held open for Sakura before opening the umbrella and putting it above the two of them to shield them from the rain.

Temari gazed at the two as they rushed off into the pouring rain, and a sympathetic smile washed over her features, her eyes softening and turning back to her work for the day.

_Oh, Sakura...there you go again..._

* * *

The rain beat down harshly upon the umbrella, while the wind made its own damage to the protective item. Neji looked down at the pink haired girl to notice that one of her eyes was shut to shield from the stinging rain that was flying somewhat under the umbrella. "Not meaning to be forward, but you're gonna get wet if you stay that far away..." 

A light blush coated Sakura's cheeks as she looked upward, "Um...yeah."

She scooted closer to Neji's strong, thin body. Instinctively, in a protective gesture, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, bringing her closer and causing her cheeks to burn heatedly.

As they walked to Sakura's apartment, the Haruno suddenly found herself very comfortable in the brunette man's embrace. Almost a little _too _comfortable. It felt so nice to have someone hold her close, even if it was unintentional. She inhaled his scent. He smelled very much like pencil-dust and a thick, woodsy scent emitted from him as well.

She was very slim, Neji noted in the back of his mind as his grip subconsciously tightened around her as a particularly strong gust of wind blew by the two, as if afraid it would blow the emerald eyed girl away from him. She was very lean, muscular, in form, most likely due to playing some kind of sport during high school. His eyes darted to look at her through the corner of his eye. Her hair was slightly wet from the rain, and her clothes were speckled with little droplets of the liquid. The smell of her was intoxicating, he found himself noticing. She smelled of peaches and the scent of rain that permeated the air around them.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he hardly noticed when a particularly strong gust blew up and carried the umbrella away from his grasp. The wind turned it inside out, bending the wiring beneath the cloth.

"Dammit!" He cursed.

"Neji, let's run!" Sakura said with an oddly cheerful deposition as a boom of thunder sounded around them.

"Huh?"

"C'mon!" The Haruno woman clasped Neji's large hand within her smaller, more feminine one and tugged him along.

Neji was taken by surprise. Wouldn't any other woman be angry that he had lost the umbrella and had gotten her wet? Sakura seemed to be different than any other woman he had ever met.

He heard her laughing as she ran through the rain to get to her apartment. They were both soaked and she didn't seem to care. Neither did he for that matter. He was glad to share this moment with her. This moment of seemingly no-holds-barred fun that she was having, frolicking in the rain. She didn't even run as fast as she could. She just took her time, lightly jogging, purposefully kicking up puddles of water along the way, though they were dirty.

"Here we are!" She announced with a renewed, daring vigor as they rounded the corner to her apartment.

Neji smiled at her cheerful nature. It was refreshing, and her innocence made him want to sketch her even more.

She swung open the door to the apartment lobby and the two flew into the building, the air conditioner instantly causing the both of them to become cold when it contacted the water dripping mercilessly from their bodies.

"Whew...that was _fun_!" Sakura said, laughing mirthfully as she ran a hand through her soaked hair, which was sticking to her cheeks and the back of her neck.

Neji laughed, taking his hair out of the hair-tie that he usually kept it back in. "Yeah..." He started, shocked that he was actually agreeing with the carnation haired girl's reasoning, "...it actually was."

"You say that as if its - " Emerald green eyes widened, "Oh crap, we gotta get you some new clothes! You're all wet!"

"Um, you are too - "

"My roommate's boyfriend has a lot of clothes...I'm sure some of them might fit you." Sakura said, giving him a warm, inviting smile, "I'm sure he won't mind, Neji."

"But I really should be going - "

Neji was interrupted by a loud boom of thunder and a strike of lightning echoing throughout the whole building, "You can't leave out in that. It's terrible...so you can stay here until it clears up."

_Coming from the girl who ran through the rain - happily might I add - during at thunderstorm...while wearing such nice clothes... _Neji thought to himself, while looking at the girl in front of him, who wore a large smile on her features.

"Let's go..." Sakura said, looking up at him, grinning toothily, "Follow me...I'll show you to my apartment."

"Alright," _No, stop it Neji, stop being perverted. She just said she'll show you to her apartment...not like she said "show you to the bed" or anything... _Neji almost reached up at tugged his hair out. He was going to make himself flustered and he didn't want to explain why suddenly his face heated up all of a sudden.

She led him to the stairs, since the man in the lobby said the elevator was off-limits due to the weather.

His ivory orbs traced her every movement as she walked in front of him, somewhat quickly up the stairs. He studied her form, eyes washing over every detail of her body. The dripping wet clothes clung to her body like a second skin, showing off how thin she actually was. The Hyuuga could see the lines of her legs, the curves of her hips, and - dare he say - the outline of her bra against the tightness of her soaked shirt. Her hair was caked against to her neck and he could just imagine himself drawing her...it was such a fresh moment that he wanted to capture.

She turned when there was a curve in the staircase, showing him the side of her form. He could see where the shirt was clinging to the curve underneath her breasts, and how her nipples were slightly puckered under the fabric of her shirt. Her flat stomach was enviable. That damn, wet shirt was hugging her in all the right places.

He needed to stop thinking like this! He had a girlfriend!

Sakura turned her head to meet his gaze, "Neji, are you alright? You're red... Do you have a fever?" She brought her hand out to touch upon his forehead, causing him to get even more flustered.

"No...I'm okay." Neji reassured, giving her a charming smile, which hid his current state quite well, he thought, "I'm fine, Sakura."

"Okay. Thank goodness." She turned around and continued her ascent up the stairs.

_No, I'm not, really... I'm not okay._

He realized this when his eyes immediately fixated back onto her form, and he mercilessly studied her movements, the way her hips swayed as she walked, the way she was breathing slightly with the effort of climbing the stairs.

It was then Neji realized he was, in fact, a dog.

* * *

_**End Chapter Six.**_

_I know, finally, huh? Sorry it took so long, but I really couldn't get into writing this right away. I ended up getting distracted and turned off from the fic, but after finishing this chapter, I am really inspired to finish this fic! I know, lucky for my faithful readers. Haha. _

_Anyway, I hoped you liked this chapter. Neji and Sakura are finally starting to get a little closer...and Neji's "thoughts". Ha. Thought that might lighten the mood some, as well as to create how the inner turmoil of his bubbling feelings for Sakura and his current girlfriend conflict with each other._

_Okay, expect the update sooner or later. Hopefully sooner rather than later._

_Arigato!_


	7. Stepping On Eggshells

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Naruto!_

_Alright, here's chapter seven! Thanks to everyone for their reviews and comments and everything. I really appreciate it! Now...hopefully this chapter comes out right. I'm still getting used to the new way of posting stories and all...hopefully there won't be any errors or anything in it!_

_Okay, now, on with the chapter!_

* * *

**Sketches  
****Chapter Seven: Stepping On Eggshells**

* * *

"We're here!"

Sakura's cheery voice permeated the silence in the apartments around the two. She had her hand outstretched toward the door, as if offering the brown haired Hyuuga a grand prize of some sort. The ivory eyed man shook his head to rid himself of his reverie. Neji had been in a daze for the past couple of minutes, eyes gazing somewhat in longing at the slight curves she had under those wet clothes. It was strange, how he had first only been called to draw and sketch the girl's image on his canvas...but...but now...

...he had no clue what he wanted from her.

The pink haired girl's fist clenched tightly around the doorknob and opened the door to the apartment numbered _310_- Neji made a mental note of that, for a purely business related purpose. Nothing else, nothing else. Not even if the growing uncomfortable feeling he was experiencing in a certain lower region made him want to do some not so acceptable things to her.

_Stop it, you fool! Stop thinking like that! You have Tenten! _

Neji was really starting to hate himself.

Sakura stepped into the apartment, and called out, "Ino! Naruto! Or both! It's Sakura, just so you know! And I have a guest, so don't go running around the house naked like last time!"

The brunette visibly twitched at the comment and sent her a questioning glance.

She turned around, meeting those gorgeous green pools with his creamy depths, "Oh...haha. Well, Ino and Naruto - the boy who fixed us ramen the other night - are very much in a serious relationship, so...ya know what happens."

Neji chuckled whilst nodding, "I understand."

The pink haired girl walked through the house, looking this way and that. Her eyes landed on a note laying on the counter. She picked it up and read it aloud.

_"Sakura,_

_Me and Naruto have gone out to eat for our third year anniversary! Amazing, ne? I'll be spending the night at his place tonight, so you can have some time to yourself. I think it'll help clear your head and, plus, after all the hard work you've been doing lately in college, you most likely need it. Enjoy! _

_The fabulous Ino!"_

Sakura couldn't help but laugh at her friend's signature on the paper, _So it's been three years... _She thought with a nostalgic look on her pretty features.

Neji spoke up, "Sakura?"

The Haruno girl spun around, clapping her hands in an enthusiastic manner, "Now, let's get you out of those clothes! You might catch cold!"

Neji felt his face heat up, _Now why'd she have to go and put it like __**that**__? I'm barely holding up as it is._

Seeing his blush, Sakura realized how she had sounded, "O-Oh, I'm sorry," She gave a nervous chuckle, "I didn't mean for it to sound like that."

The ivory eyed man just laughed along with her, "Ha, no problem."

"Now, just wait right here and I'm gonna go get you some clothes."

With that, Sakura left him standing there. Against his will, he found his eyes once more scanning the alluring curves of her body. Though she wasn't as curvy as Tenten, she definitely had a way about her that immediately attracted him to her. The way she carried herself, the way she smiled, the way her hips swayed when she walked, even how the sweet smell of vanilla seemed to always emit from her. He found himself intoxicated by the various things she did.

Neji shook his head, eyes scrunched closed in a denial of whatever he was feeling or thinking. The brunette figured that all this was a result of him being inspiration-less for the past several months or more, and just wanting to draw something that was..._interesting_.

Sakura was more than interesting.

She was downright irresistible to him.

His train of thought was interrupted by aforementioned woman saying, "Neji, I got you some clothes that you can wear until we dry the ones you have on."

Neji nodded appreciatively and took the clothes - which consisted of a pair of baggy, plaid pajama pants, a white t-shirt, and some clean boxers. "Thanks."

"The bathroom's right down the hall." Sakura pointed with her index finger down the hall across from them. "First door on the right. And when you get done changing, the dryer is in the room opposite the bathroom, so just stick your clothes in there and press your settings... It's a regular dryer so I doubt you'll have any trouble."

The Hyuuga nodded once more and disappeared into the bathroom.

While Neji was changing, Sakura walked into her own room to change into some fresh clothes of her own. Since it was quite late in the afternoon, she opted for a pair of comfortable black sweats and a well fitting tee. She brushed through her damp hair before moving out of her room and plopping herself onto the couch in front of the television. She took the remote in her hand and began skimming channels.

She turned her head when she heard the door to the bathroom creak open. "Everything fit okay?"

Neji chuckled, "I just hope that you washed these boxers before I put them on."

That earned a hearty laugh from Sakura, "I hope so too."

"You don't know!" Neji's voice escaped him in a panic stricken shout, a far cry from the soothing, deep quality of his usual speaking voice.

The action drew a series of hard, meaningful laughs that shook Sakura's thin frame. Her eyes were squeased shut, a bright smile playing across her face, her pearly white teeth showing. She placed a hand on her flat stomach, as if the laughing hurt her, before collecting herself and giving Neji a reply that consisted of a few sputtered syllables and nothing coherant.

Neji couldn't help but laugh with her. Sakura's laugh was a cheerful tone that just made him want to join in with her joyfulness. So he did, laughing as he walked all over from his spot to sit on the couch next to her.

As soon as the humorous mood ended, Neji spoke, "So..."

"So..." Sakura copied.

"What do we do?"

"Hm..." Sakura pondered, finger on her chin, "How about watch a movie until your clothes are done?"

The brunette nodded with a simple smile, "Sounds good to me."

"Alright!" Sakura sprang from her seat and walked over to a shelf of DVDs that was to the right of the couch.

Neji couldn't help his eyes from glancing over her frame one more times. He hated himself for it, but maybe if she said no to him sketching her as a model, maybe he could remember every detail of her curves, the shape of her face, her hands... He doubted he could remember it all, so he hoped that she would say yes when he asked her. For more reasons than one.

"What are you in the mood for?"

"W-What?"

"What kind of movie do you want to watch?"

_Damn! Stop thinking everything she says is an innuendo! _

"Oh...how about horror?" Neji offered, moving his eyes from the back of her head to her hands, which were resting on several movies, going across them as she tried to choose one.

Sakura spun around, a bright grin on her face, "Read my mind! This kind of weather is perfect for watching a scary movie, ne?"

Neji's features softened noticeably at her cheerfulness, feeling at ease around her. Feeling as if he could open up to her about almost anything. "Yeah. Perfect."

"Is this one okay?" The pink haired youth turned around as her fingers grasped a DVD box, "_Friday the 13th_. A classic."

"I've never seen it..."

The look he received for that comment was one of stupor mixed with incredulity, "_What_? You mean to tell me that you've never seen _Friday the 13th_?!"

"Nope, never seen it."

The Hyuuga chuckled at Sakura's shocked expression, "You are not human."

"Yes, I am actually a robotic cyber being, created to shock people with my lack of horror knowledge."

"So you're like _I, Robot_?"

"Exactly." He smirked, going on with this game they had going. His ivory pools watched Sakura kneel in front of the DVD player and stick the disc into the drive, pressing play with her finger before getting up and resuming her place on the couch.

"Well, Mr. Roboto, I just have to tell you, before you go and try to kill me, keep in mind that I am a black-belt in karate and also have Luke Skywalker on my side."

"I've never seen _Star Wars_."

"You _aren't human_!"

Neji only chuckled, eyes gazing at the movie screen as the opening credits began to roll.

It grew quiet, Sakura getting up and turning off the lights before sitting back down, with the reasoning of: "That's how _all _horror movies should be watched. The good ones, at least."

"Of course." was Neji's reply.

The two new friends just sat on the couch, Sakura adopting a position of comfort, sinking down into the cushions, her knees up to her chest and arms wrapped around the folded limbs. Neji just leaned back casually, his arm resting on the back of the couch, slighting coming into contact with the top of her head, but Sakura didn't seem to mind.

The familiar music began to play and Sakura laughed and copied the tones, "Ch, ch, ch, ah, ah, ah!"

Neji looked out of the corner of his eye at Sakura, who looked to be positively beaming with suppressed excitement. Sakura obviously felt his gaze on her, for her eyes darted to the side to connect with his own. She smirked playfully, "Pay attention."

He nodded, ignoring the blush that crept upon his cheeks.

The two then got somewhat absorbed in the movie, just paying attention to the actors and such on screen, when all of a sudden, Sakura's stomach let out a growl. She laughed sheepishly, rising from her seat. "I'll be back."

The brunette nodded and watched her walk away. Only a few seconds later did he hear some buttons beeping and the microwave being turned on. A popping noise sounded and the smell of butter wafted through the apartment. The microwave gave a beep, signaling that it was done.

A few minutes after, Sakura came back with two bowls of steaming popcorn. She handed one to Neji and smiled, "Don't think I didn't notice your stomach growling only seconds after mine did."

Ivory eyes smiled at her, "Yes..." He took the bowl in his large hands, "Thank you."

"No problem!" Sakura cheerfully stated, slumping down on the couch whilst tossing a hand full of the golden snack food in her mouth. She chomped down on hers fast, noisily while Neji ate in silence, keeping a slow pace to his eating.

It was nice, spending time with her. It was more than nice, but Neji didn't want to admit that to himself now.

A sigh came from his left, where Sakura was sitting. She put the bowl down on the floor and Neji looked at it in awe, "You ate all of it? In that short amount of time?"

"Hah, what can I say?" Sakura said, giving him a toothy smile, "When I'm hungry, I _eat_."

Neji returned the gesture. "Ah..."

"Ah." She repeated.

It went quiet once more, with only the screams of the people on the movie to provide any source of sound.

Sakura began to laugh, "Haha, wow."

Neji quirked an eyebrow, "That woman just got her head cut off...and you're _laughing_?"

"Oh, yes..." Sakura said between chuckles. She gave Neji a look of pure innocence before explaining herself, "I find strange things funny..." She then noticed Neji's look and started up, "Oh! I mean I didn't take any like insane, demented pleasure out of that, I just thought it was funny how the girl was screaming and then the head was all spinning - "

Neji smiled in a strange manner, "I get it. It _was_ pretty funny."

The pink haired girl laughed, "You agree? Amazing."

"Well, I also find strange things funny."

Sakura then moved her eyes to the half-full bowl of popcorn sitting on the side table right beside Neji. She gave him a look and he only gave her that same, soft smile, "You can have some."

"Thanks!"

Sakura stood on her knees on the couch, reaching across Neji's form to take some popcorn from the bowl. She obviously didn't realize how close she was to his face, for she paid it no attention. The now dry petal pink locks hung from her face and were slightly wavy from the moisture of the rain. Her free hand was resting beside his thigh on the couch, her knuckles just barely grazing it. Her knees also were slightly touching the side of his leg as she reached into the bowl. The moment in reality only lasted a few seconds, but to Neji, it felt as if time was standing still just to torture him.

"Sakura?" He asked.

"Hm?" She turned, now face to face with him. They were only mere inches apart. Calling out her name had been a big mistake on his part, Neji realized with chagrin at his current state. He tried not to think of how if he just leaned forward he could capture her lips with his.

As appealing as the thought was, he had more self control than that...or he would so like to believe.

"Can I ask you something?"

Sakura rocked back, now sitting on her heels after retrieving the amount of popcorn she had desired. "Of course."

"You know I'm an artist, ne?"

"Well, yes..." Sakura replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"I...well, I have been looking for a subject for a while...and I think we touched on this subject at lunch...but I was wondering if you would pose for me. In a portrait."

He pretended to not notice the blush streaking across her face when he said that. "Um...I..."

_Buzz, buzz!_

He noticed her jump slightly before laughing at herself, "Oh, your clothes are dried. Let me go get them out for you." She rose from her seat, and Neji followed her, wondering if she would give him her answer.

She brought out the clothes without saying anything more about the subject, "Here ya go." She handed him the warm, dry clothes for him to change back in to.

Neji nodded, obviously hiding his disappointment at her not answering fully yet. He tried to ignore it best he could as he walked into the bathroom to get dressed. Had it been too soon to ask her? Was she going to be repulsed out by it? Those and other questions of the sort flocked through his mind like a stampede.

He tried not to think too much about it when he walked out of the bathroom only a few seconds later, fully dressed in his clean clothes, only to find Sakura cleaning up the area where they watched the movie together. "Well, Sakura...I think it's about time I head home."

The carnation haired girl looked up from her spot, "Oh, alright!" She walked up to Neji to walk him out. "You do remember your way home, ne?" She tried to joke, ignoring the obvious tension between the two that had now made itself known.

Neji gave that same, casual chuckle as she met him at the door, opening it for him before he stepped out fully. "Of course I do."

Sakura smiled brightly at him with an optimism that made his own supposed "optimistic nature" pale in comparison to it. "Um, I had a really good time today, Sakura. I very much enjoyed it." He commented, looking into her emerald depths with earnesty.

"Same here!"

It was quiet for a while, the two not knowing exactly what to do around each other. They settled for a friendly hug after a few minutes of just standing there nonchalantly. When they parted, Sakura looked down at her sock-clad feet. "Um...about your question..." She began with a gulp, "I'm going to need the night to think about it, so I'll get back to you tomorrow with my answer..."

Neji nodded understandingly. "Alright, that's fine with me. You'll call me, right?"

"Yes."

The Hyuuga smiled, looking down at her, "Again, it's been great today."

"Same here." Sakura smiled as she watched him step out into the hall, "Be careful on your way home!"

"I will!"

Sakura watched him as he descended down the stairs and out of sight. She sighed, closing the door and leaning up against its strong, solid surface. Her emerald pools focused out the window adjacent to her that showed her the view of a clearer day than the two had previously been out in.

_What am I __**doing**?_

* * *

After waiting the whole next day for her call, Neji about gave up on ever hearing her reply.

That is, until, at around three in the afternoon, when the phone startled him out of his quiet sketching of the world outside his window.

He rose from his space, flexing the cramps and cricks out of his body that had been in basically the same position all day. Tenten had long since gone to work and would be back at about five. The soft patter of his feet was the only thing audible throughout the small studio apartment.

He swallowed the lump in his throat as his fingers clamped around the phone, picking it up off the cradle, and placing it to his ear with the utmost hope that it would be the cherry blossom haired girl that spoke.

"Hello?"

The response was three words.

Three words and he knew exactly who it was.

"I'll do it."

* * *

_**End Chapter Seven.**_

_Well, things are finally getting into full swing in this fic, aren't they? I know this was a rather simple chapter, but I think it sets up some very important events in the future of this story of mine. _

_Anyway, I hope you enjoyed what I did with this, and I hope you review with your opinions. Be it negative or positive or a mix of both. _

_This chapter also had more NejiSaku moments in it than previous ones, which I think is a treat to y'all. _

_I hope you liked it!_

_Arigato!_


	8. Portrait

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own Naruto!_

_Alright, so! Please don't kill me for not updating! I just lost inspiration but now it's back and it's wonderful and I am here to present you with chapter eight of Sketches! Oh yes!_

_Anyway, no more delays, I think everyone has had enough of those..._

* * *

**Sketches  
****Chapter Eight: Portrait**

* * *

The pink haired girl stood on the curb of the street outside of her apartment, slender fingers tightening around the fabric of her skirt as she did so. Sakura gave a heavy gulp and exhaled as her emerald eyes looked out to the street, searching for the familiar figure of the brunette haired man that she was supposed to meet here so he could take her to his apartment to...sketch her.

Now, the concept itself wasn't making her nervous. She had no problem with being drawn by him, since she knew him fairly well, they got along, and he really didn't seem to have any psychotic tendencies whatsoever, _That's always a plus, _Sakura told herself, remembering the loads of guys who came up to her and hit on her and asked her things that had her wonder if she would actually end up dead by the end of the night.

But she could tell Neji wasn't like that at all. He was kind, sweet, considerate, albeit a little distant at times, but apparently that's what Sakura liked in a man. Well, at least her only ex-boyfriend was like that. _The bastard._ She cursed before shaking her head.

_No! Don't think about that! You're about to be drawn by this totally handsome man who just happens to have an extremely kind disposition and he cares for you...and who has a __**girlfriend**__. Don't forget that, Sakura. Can't forget that one detail._

Because if she forgot that one little piece of information, she might end up doing something she would regret.

_I'm an idiot._

"Sakura?"

The emerald eyed Haruno stiffened to attention, realizing that she had gotten lost in her thoughts. Turning to the direction of the voice, she was met with a pair of soft, ivory orbs, "Neji! Good morning." She gave a bright smile to the man.

"Good morning to you as well," Neji greeted in return. "Are you ready?"

Sakura gave a rough laugh, "Of course."

"Then let's go."

The two walked to Neji's apartment in silence, with the occasional comment on the weather, sports, or some other random topic Sakura could think of to disturb the silence between them, she ended up wondering aloud to herself, "Ino never came home last night..."

Neji commented on this, though Sakura had not intended for this to be a topic of conversation, "Well, you said she was out with her boyfriend for their anniversary...so, I'd assume she'd most likely stay the night, right?"

"Hm? Oh, I'm sorry, I was thinking out loud." Sakura laughed, scratching the back of her head with her hand, "But yes, you're probably right. I know she can't wait to get home and tell me _all _about it."

"Oh, you poor thing." Neji said in mock pity.

Sakura chuckled as the two continued to make their way to Neji's apartment complex. She walked side-by-side with the brunette, and only a bit behind him, for his long legs propelled him farther than she went with her own. She gave him a sideways glance, taking in his features for what seemed like the millionth time - strong face, a gaze that was both intense yet soft at the same time, lips that she tried not to look at for fear of blushing, handsome nose... Her eyes dropped to his flat stomach, most likely toned, as were his arms that were exposed in a short sleeved tee. The rippled muscle of his arms could be seen, without him even flexing them. She looked at his strong, powerful legs, and she could see well-developed calves due to the baggy shorts he wore. Out of curiosity, her eyes drifted upward and focused on his bottom...

She needed to stop tempting herself with this forbidden fruit.

Sakura shook her head with embarrassment as a blush crossed her features. Sighing with somewhat exasperation, she dug her fingernails into the flesh of her opposite arm to quell her hormones.

_Why am I doing this? He has a girlfriend and involving myself even further is going to make me like him even more! And I already know it wouldn't end well because he doesn't have the same...__**attraction **__that I do to him!_

"We're here." Neji announced suddenly, looking upward at a building that was actually rather upscale. More sophisticated than her own apartment, actually. "Don't be deceived. The outside is a lot better than what my apartment looks like on the inside." He chuckled, motioning to the entrance door, taking out his key, and sliding it into the slot.

_I repeat, I am an idiot!_

* * *

"My apartment." Neji introduced without much flair as he opened the door to his living quarters. It showed signs of a frantic attempt to clean at the last minute, and Sakura was touched that he would take the time to clean just because she was coming over, or that was what she assumed the last minute cleaning was for.

"Wow..." Sakura said, looking over at the surprisingly large, spacious apartment. It had few decorative items, but the evidence of a woman's touch could clearly be seen. A vase of flowers, some candles, cookbooks...all were visible inside the quarters. "It's very nice, Neji."

Neji chuckled, as if her statement was as far from the truth as could be, "It's a very humble little place. I'm a slob, so I really tried to clean before you came over."

The pink haired girl smiled. Her assumption was right, and the fact that it also made her heart palpitate faster made her even more nervous than she was.

"Alright..." Neji walked over to a large, den-like area where a stool, canvas, and some paint, brushes, and pencils stood together. And on the farther end, in front of the canvas and stool, was a pile of lush, eloquent looking pillows, thrown haphazardly on and around a small daybed that had been moved from his room into the den. The only things adorning the bed besides the rich colored pillows was a thin white sheet and a knitted maroon-and-gold shawl. The light from the high window above the sofa shone in and cast much needed light onto the sketching area.

Sakura stood behind him, taking in the sight of the area she supposed she'd have to sit in so he could draw her. She looked at her attire - a knee length, creme colored, pleated skirt; a scarlet colored blouse with somewhat billowy sleeves; and a pair of sandals. Did he want her to pose for him in _this_?

Her question was answered when Neji suddenly said, "Um, would you please change into this?"

In his hands was a nightgown, a white nightgown. So white that it was definitely see through.

Sakura gulped.

_Damn me for wearing black undergarments today!_

It was true. The only thing that was clean was a pair of black panties and a black lace bra. And those would totally be day glow in this sexy little number Neji just pulled out from thin air.

"Don't worry," Neji reassured with a smile, "It's new. Never been worn."

Sakura looked to see that the price tag was still on it. The price had been scratched out with a permanent marker, however. _Did he...go out and buy this...just for me? _Sakura blushed at the thought.

"Is it okay?" Neji said when Sakura didn't speak, "I mean...you're not uncomfortable, are you?"

Brought back to reality, Sakura shook her head forcefully, and said, "Oh, no! I'm perfectly fine with this." _Though I am going to have to be completely naked under it..._

Neji gave her a soft smile, "Good." He pointed to a door across from his bedroom, "There's the bathroom, you can change in there."

Sakura nodded and took the silky feeling nightie in her hands. With almost hesitant steps, she walked to the bathroom, her heart seeming to not stop thumping like a brick in her chest.

As soon as she arrived in the bathroom, she looked around. The obvious feminine touches continued here with such things as a bit of potpourri in a small glass jar, girly shower curtains, and a pink toothbrush sitting next to a navy blue one in a glass.

Sakura rid herself of her clothes and stood there, clad in a matching set of black bra and panties that flattered her figure. She frowned in disappointment as she looked at herself. _Well, this is what I get for not wearing more neutral colors... _She unhooked the clasp of her bra and slowly removed the last barrier of clothing between her and the cold air. After that, she quickly shimmied out of her underwear and gave one more look at her now nude form. Once again, her mouth formed a look of unhappiness as she stared at her breasts. _Feh! What was I thinking. I have a boy chest, so...Neji shouldn't be attracted to me anyway..._

It was far from the truth, Sakura wasn't necessarily flat, but she most certainly wasn't as voluptuous as Temari or Hinata. She shook her head to rid herself of that particular envy she had for the two women, and slipped into the nightgown.

The slinky white number looked stunning on her. The straps were thin, almost invisible, and draped on her shoulders delicately. The top was cut in a sloping v-shape that traced the outline of the curves of her breasts. It didn't reveal too much, but if she were more endowed, it would've been sleazy. The v-cut of it was outlined with a bit of lace, as was the bottom hem of the small gown. It reached her mid-thigh, revealing her long, smooth legs. Sakura gave a smile, even though it was a weary one, it was something. "Not bad, Neji..." Her weary smile grew into a small smirk.

She ignored how her nipples had puckered underneath the flimsy fabric, thinking that it wasn't noticeable, and walked out to meet Neji in his drawing area.

"Does this look okay?" Sakura asked, stretching her arms out from her sides as if they were getting in the way of Neji's judgement of her appearance.

The brunette turned and his breath immediately caught in his throat just as he was about to say something. He gulped and took in her form. She looked absolutely stunning. The color of the dress really complimented her, and made her pink locks really stand out. But what surprised him to the point of falling out of his seat was, as she got closer to him, he could see that she wasn't wearing anything under it.

_Oh...my..._

Sakura approached him, and with a nervous smile, she said, "You never answered me. How do I look?" She was standing right beside him now, her hand resting on the back of his chair, bending over to make conversation with him. Emerald orbs connected with ivory, the latter of which widened with her close proximity to him. She saw Neji's Adam's apple bob as he swallowed.

"You look great, Sakura." He said, almost all in one breath.

Sakura smiled as she walked over to the bed, where she had assumed she was supposed to lay down for him to draw or paint or sketch her...

Neji's eyes drifted downward as she walked away, he could clearly see the curve of her buttocks against the fabric of the gown and took in a shaky breath. "Ah..." He mused, taking a long look at Sakura's form before finishing his sentence, "Alright," He approached the pink haired beauty, who had now positioned herself in a sitting position on the daybed.

The brunette touched her shoulders, moving the straps of the nightie from her shoulders to hang down loosely off her shoulders. The touch of his large palms against her skin was enough to send a tingle down her spine. He moved her legs onto the bed, laying the long limbs on their side, complimenting her tall figure. He adjusted the bottom hem of the ensemble. Sakura had to bite her lip as his fingers tickled her leg. He then moved one arm to cross her stomach and lay on the bed in front of her, while putting the other one loosely fisted in the sheet that was slightly tangled.

Neji then looked up to meet his eyes with her large, innocent, emerald ones. He placed his hands on both sides of Sakura's face, and positioned it in a certain angle.

While he did this, he had to resist the urge to plant his lips on that plump mouth of hers.

"Alright, now keep looking like that..."

"Like what?" Sakura asked as she felt his hands drop back to his sides. She was actually reluctant to have his touch off of her.

"Just relax your face, and try to not move." Neji said politely as he made his way back to his chair, behind the safety of his canvas.

"Yes..." Sakura had to resist the urge to nod, for she had to keep her face as it was.

The brunette artist exhaled a breath he didn't know he had been holding before picking up a simple pencil from the plethora of drawing utensils at his side. He looked up, and began.

The light was falling out of the window and onto the bed and shining on her petal pink hair perfectly. It also added a certain glint to her eyes that enhanced her natural youthful gaze. He pressed the pencil to the paper and started sketching.

_Beautiful._

That was the only word that came to his mind as he began drawing her outline.

And it seemed to be the only one that suited this.

He drew more carefully than he ever had before, for he didn't know her body like he did Tenten's. Drawing the brunette had become so easy and effortless that he could've done it right now without even looking at her. But Sakura was a new model, unlike Tenten in many ways, and he wanted to capture her body, her very essence on the paper as accurately as possible.

The pencil skidded across the paper, making the outline of her torso first, the slim, narrow waist that looked so inviting when in that gown he bought for her. Neji moved down to the plane of her legs and drew them as he saw them - lean, with a hint of muscle under the skin. He then drew her arms, long and graceful. He concentrated on getting her body just right, but when he got to her breasts, he paused for a moment.

"Everything okay, Neji?" Sakura asked curiously, still making sure not to move her head even the tiniest inch out of alignment.

Neji almost slapped himself, "Um, yes. Everything is fine, Sakura."

"Okay..." Sakura suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable.

He gave a cough to dismiss the thoughts he was having from his head. Ivory orbs looked up, only to be met with a piercing forest green gaze. He tried not to make it too obvious that he was staring at her chest, but he had to because this was..._art_.

Her breasts were slight, but not in the least bit unappealing to him. He drew the curve of them under the papery thin gown as he kept looking from the paper, back up to her, a process familiar with most artists. He drew the slight peak of her nipples that were poking from underneath the gown to keep it as realistic as possible. He then began to work on her shoulders, connecting them with her arms and forming her long, slender neck.

Neji then started to work on rendering her face. He drew the outline of her chin and jaw before moving to make her nose, plump lips, and round eyes onto the face he had made for her. While he was drawing, he got most caught up in her eyes. He tried his best to do justice to those those gorgeous pools of green, and he accomplished what he set out to do. Her eyes came to life on the paper. Her lips were full and in a relaxed state, just like he told her to be.

Then he worked on her short locks of hair, framing her face ever so gently with wisps of spiky, yet stylish hair. He kept the lines light throughout the whole process, so he could begin to paint over it after he was done with the initial outline.

He then quickly, but with utmost care for detail, drew in the bed beneath her, as well as her fingers twisted around the blanket. Ivory eyes drank in the sight, much to his dismay, for the whole picture of it all was very arousing to him.

Looking over his final product after a finishing it, the corner of Neji's eyes creased with a smile. Neji looked up at the rosette haired beauty and said, "Finished."

Sakura blinked. "Ne...really?"

Neji gave a nod, and motioned for her to get up from her perch and come over to him. "Come see."

The carnation haired girl smiled and happily moved from her fixed position. As she moved over to him, she looked up at the clock, seeing that she had been there for several hours. She stretched out her stiff muscles with a subtle sexiness that Neji couldn't help but pick up on. He knew she didn't mean to do that, but seeing her flex and move her muscles like a nubile feline made him even more _uncomfortable_.

Sakura walked over to his side and peered down over his shoulder, emerald orbs widened as she did so. "Neji..." She said his name in somewhat shock at how good the drawing was. It captured her perfectly!

She had known that he was a very talented artist, but this drawing...he had truly outdone himself! That picture of the park was gorgeous, and the random sketches of a brunette woman were also very interestingly beautiful but hers...the sketch of her was a wondrous example of what Neji's art was really about - portraying the emotion of the person as they are at that moment, in the moment, with no frills or romanticising anything.

The emerald eyes girl was also shocked to see that her face was filled with the emotion of what she had been thinking about at the time - the longing she felt for Neji, the despair in knowing he had this gorgeous girlfriend (she figured the brunette woman in his other drawings was his much talked about girlfriend), and the somewhat loneliness she felt from him.

Placing a delicate hand on his strong shoulder, she encouraged him, "It's _gorgeous_, Neji."

Neji slightly shuddered at her touch and at the strange emotions that came from it, the strange tingle that flew through him with her simple gesture of support. He brushed it off, and provided a cool, calm, and joking response, "Are you sure you're not just saying that because you are the model?"

Sakura smirked, "Wow, you think I'm that conceited?"

Neji shook his head, "No...I just think you're confident about your beauty."

"Are you calling me beautiful, Hyuuga Neji?"

As soon as the question left her lips, she wished it hadn't. Her heart was thumping around in her chest like some frantic object, fearful of him saying no to her comment or anything else.

But his reaction was quite the opposite.

Neji turned to her, face inches from hers, confident ivory eyes connecting with curious and anxious emerald orbs, "No...beautiful doesn't even describe you..."

"I-I..." She blushed, feeling flustered and starting to stutter. _Wh-What...? What is he - ?_

"You are _breathtaking_, Haruno Sakura."

* * *

_**End Chapter Eight.**_

_There's chapter eight! I hoped you liked it! I decided to hurry and get this finished by the time school starts (Which is tomorrow for me, I'll be a SENIOR! Hell yes!). So yeah, I accomplished my goal. Though, I should've updated more frequently this summer, I know. I have just been so distracted and I hope you will all forgive me. (dodges fruit and random things thrown at her)_

_Anyway, please leave me with your feedback and comments and whatever you feel! No flames. Flames are stupid. Lol. Of course, you all know that. _

_Okay, R & R!_

_Arigato!_


	9. Take My Breath Away

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Naruto!_

_Thanks for the awesome reviews! I'm so glad y'all stuck with me through my dry spell of not wanting to write, lol. Anyway, I tried to get this chapter out as fast as I could, so...here it is! _

_Enjoy!_

* * *

**Sketches  
****Chapter Nine: Take My Breath Away**

* * *

It was almost like her heart stopped.

Sakura felt as if she was going to fall over and have an attack of some sort. She could feel the blush creeping across her features, turning them a bright shade of scarlet that stood out like a sore thumb against her skin. Her mind was a mish-mash of thoughts, none of which were coherent enough to make an understandable sentence, so she just stood there beside Neji, clad in only the nightie he had given her to wear.

_Thud, thud, thud._

The thumping of her heart sounded in her ears. _Oh, good. At least I know I'm still alive. _She thought shakily, gulping hard.

His words kept playing on loop in her mind.

_"You are __**breathtaking**__, Haruno Sakura."_

Even thinking about the kind man's words caused her to go into an even further state of being flustered.

Breathtaking...

Breathtaking?

Her?

_Breathtaking_.

It all seemed to be like something that had happened to someone else. Not her. Not that she didn't think she was attractive, but...for someone to say it with such conviction, with such kind eyes, and in a voice that almost made her want to cry...

It was like a dream.

And Sakura didn't want to wake up.

She only gazed into Neji's ivory orbs, absorbing her thoughts and the actions that just took place. The pink haired woman sighed and looked from her portrait back to Neji, an uneasiness creeping over her. His comment was much appreciated - it had made her feel so much more beautiful than anything else had lately, especially after her encounter with Sasuke and his new flame at the restaurant - but...for some reason...it made her feel like a homewrecker.

Her emerald orbs flickered with worry as she let out an uneven sigh. By being this close to Neji, her feelings for him were growing stronger and stronger with each passing moment, and when he had said those words...calling her "breathtaking" of all things, she felt extremely happy and giddy, but now she was beginning to feel a tinge of guilt come into her consciousness.

Neji had a girlfriend. One he loved, she thought. And what was she doing? Probably creating a gaping hole in their relationship. She didn't know if Neji had told his girlfriend about their meeting today, or their lunch yesterday...it was almost like an _affair_.

Sakura shuddered at the thought. It made her feel dirty and terrible and upset.

She was basically doing the same thing Sasuke had done with that woman. Cheating.

_I'm so stupid..._

Stupid for letting herself get this attached. Stupid for being so close to him - for actually _wanting _that closeness. Stupid for allowing all this to happen. She was beginning to develop true feelings for the Hyuuga, and...and...

_Damn it!_

Sakura was starting to get a headache, as well as feeling like she was on the verge of tears. She fisted a hand in her bangs and looked away, trying to stop the heated tears from pouring from her eyes without remorse. She exhaled shakily, tugging more and more on her pale pink locks as if in rebellion against her feelings.

"Sakura?"

She didn't look at him, for fear of bursting into tears at that very moment at the expression his voice was holding.

"Sakura." Neji repeated, firmer, but with a caring undertone, "Look at me. Please."

The carnation haired beauty looked up, and Neji could see that she was on the verge of tears. For a second, he thought it was because of what he said, but then he realized the look of distress marring her features. "Are you alright, Sakura?"

"I..." She started, wondering what exactly she did to deserve such kindness from another human being, "I...don't want to...be the _other woman_."

"Other woman?" Neji tested the words on his tongue, "What are you talking about?"

Sakura felt her resolve about to tear down, "Your...girlfriend. She doesn't know that you've been spending time with me. She doesn't know that you've drawn a picture of me...or that you've had lunch with me. Or that you've been to my apartment. Or anything like that. And I just feel...I just feel that if these things come into light that...I might cause your relationship to break up. I might cause you unhappiness..." She trailed off, surprised at her own openness. "I can't. I won't. It's...not fair. To be so selfish as to break up someone's relationship just because I want to be around you." She quickly looked away, gasping at how quickly the last statement flew from her lips, and quickly back-peddled, "As a friend."

The brunette just sat there, letting what she just said sink in. He wanted to be around her as well, and was surprised that she felt the same way. After only a few seconds, Neji rose and did something that surprised both of them.

He gathered her in his arms, embracing her in a tight hug.

Sakura gasped at the sudden contact, allowing herself to melt into his arms, hugging him tightly back. Her fingers clenched tightly in the loose fabric of his clothing and her face was buried in his chest, inhaling his scent. She felt herself begin to cry, and this time she didn't hold back the tears. It was a foolish thing - most people wouldn't be worried. But with her feelings growing like this, at such an alarming rate, she had nothing to do but worry. To fear. To wait for the inevitable pang of rejection.

After all, he would reject her if she ever told him about her developing crush.

Wouldn't he?

But as he held her so closely, so gently, Sakura wondered if he liked her more than she thought.

"Sakura..." He breathed her name gently, letting the syllables roll off his tongue.

"Nn?" She managed to croak out, her face still against his firm chest as if trying to find a safe haven from her feelings.

"Don't think that you're the only one feeling terrible." He said gently, trying to get her to know that he was on the same page as her, "Because I..." He paused, searching for words, but finding none that fit it better than what she had said before, "...I want to be around _you_, too."

Sakura's heart skipped.

"If Tenten asks about you, I'll just say that you're a close friend." Neji said soothingly. "Like you said when we first had ramen together. Remember? And because it's the truth. We _are _friends."

"Yes." _A close friend. _Sakura was engrossed with how he said the word friend, as if he wanted to be something more than that, but she dismissed it as a product of her wishes. She then stiffened, "Ten...ten?"

"My girlfriend." Neji replied, "Oh, that's right, I never told you her name."

"A...Ah..." Sakura couldn't form words as a moment from the past suddenly flashed through her subconscious. "Tenten."

Neji looked at the top of her head curiously, wondering why she was sounding so shell-shocked at his girlfriend's name.

The cherry blossom shook her head, storing the new information in the back of her mind, knowing that she'd have to ask Ino about it later. It couldn't be... No, she couldn't possibly be the one that Sasuke...that Sasuke...

_Shit! Don't think about it!_

Sakura sighed, reveling in his embrace once more, enjoying the muscular arms holding her so close. She could hear his heart beat along with hers. She blushed like a school girl and sighed, her tears stopping. "Neji..."

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

Neji realized his hold tightened on her after she said those words, "It's no problem...I'm glad to help you, Sakura. More than glad."

Her heart sped up one hundred fold.

It was silent as the two just stood there, holding one another, feeling as if they were the only two people in the world. Neji sighed, realizing that now more than ever he wanted to be near her. And it wasn't just for drawing her.

"Sakura," He began steadily, with a calm confidence that oozed from his every pore.

She looked up, meeting his eyes with her own, "Yes?"

"If you are still up to being around me...would you like to spend a day at the park tomorrow?"

Sakura gulped, her eyes expressing every emotion she felt at that moment - distress, sadness, guilt, happiness, and shock all balled up into one package. After a moment of deliberation, she realized that his embrace, his tender words had helped more than any one else's could ever have, and she smiled that bright childish grin of hers.

"I would love to."

* * *

The Haruno woman sighed, clenching the bag that held the nightie that Neji bought for her in her hands.

The pink haired girl walked home that day feeling refreshed and more alive than she had been in a while. That cry really helped, as well as expressing her feelings about the supposed "affair", which was far from the case. She didn't come out and say it, but it had been on her mind for a while. She just really didn't know how to put it without scaring him. And he didn't act freaked out when she explained to him in his apartment about it, so...she guessed she had accomplished what she had done, albeit somewhat unexpectedly on her part.

She sighed, thinking of his ivory depths as she walked.

As aimless and strange as it seemed, she was anxious to spend the day with him at the park. They had picked a time and all. She wasn't sure what they were going to do, but she knew she would have a good time no matter what. Even if he didn't reciprocate her feelings - she was pretty sure, if not absolutely positive, he was in love with his girlfriend - she would still like to be friends.

Plus, it couldn't be that bad, right?

She then thought of how she had fallen for Sasuke and how much that had hurt and now called herself naive for thinking that liking someone who didn't feel the same wasn't painful.

Because it was.

Sakura sighed roughly as she entered her apartment for the first time in a what seemed like forever, and felt slightly disappointed that she didn't see Neji standing there. But the disappointment was short lived, for she was pounced on by a vivacious blonde named Ino.

"Sa-ku-raaa!" The pretty blonde screamed as she hugged Sakura with everything she had.

"I-Ino!" Sakura said in somewhat shock. She hadn't seen the blonde since about two days ago and was quite surprised and happy to see her back. She had so many things to tell her. So many things that she needed her opinion on...

She could hear Ino's excited giggling as she continued her death grip around Sakura's shoulders. She didn't say anything else, only squealed and laughed and basically had a fit right there.

"Ino..." Sakura said calmly, trying to pull the ecstatic Yamanaka off of her. "What's going _on _with you?"

Ino pulled away, crystalline blue eyes looking directly into her forest green ones; Ino's hands were perched on both of Sakura's shoulders still, and her grin was magnetic, making the carnation haired beauty smile as well.

"Naruto asked me to marry him!" She shouted, her loud voice resonating through the silence in the apartment, "And I said yes!"

Sakura's jaw dropped and she immediately squealed along with her best friend, "Are you serious!?"

"Like a heart attack!" Ino joked, raising her hand to show Sakura the gorgeous ring on her finger. It was a single diamond on a gold band with two sapphires on either side. "Can you believe it?!"

Sakura didn't answer; she only hugged the blonde woman tightly, her chin resting on the shoulder of the slightly shorter woman, "I am so happy for you, Ino." She whispered against the shell of her ear.

The sincerity of her voice brought tears to Ino's eyes and she said, "Thank you, Sakura." She cupped the pink haired woman's neck with the back of her hand, pulling her closer.

The two stood there, embracing each other as close friends do, giggling and laughing. They then parted after a few minutes and Ino looked dead into Sakura's eyes and asked, "Will you be my maid of honor?"

Sakura felt a smile creep onto her features and she almost screamed, "Of course!"

"Oh, Sakura, I'm so happy!" Ino said truthfully. "Thanks! I'm so glad you'll be my maid of honor!"

"I could never say no to that, Ino. I mean, you're my best friend." Sakura said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I'm so happy."

"You've said that already." Sakura smirked, "But I understand; I'd be the exact same way."

Ino grinned a very Naruto-like grin.

"So, where were you today?" The blonde asked as Sakura reached down from the cabinet and brought down two mugs, reaching for the hot cocoa packets in the pantry. "...ah, you want to talk again, I see."

Sakura only nodded. "Of course. About your _engagement_!"

"And?" Ino offered, "I know you have something on your mind. It's obvious."

Sakura was silent as everything suddenly came flooding back to her in a flash of emotions. She solemnly filled the mugs with the cocoa mix, then added the hot water before stirring it all together. She inhaled sharply, closing her eyes, all the questions floating back to the forefront of her mind now. "I..." She ventured, looking out the window above the sink that she stood in front of.

Before she started into the past two day's events, she said the first thing that was on her mind, "His girlfriend's name is Tenten."

Ino gasped, her cerulean depths looking in a shocked manner at Sakura's back.

The short haired girl sighed, knowing what Ino's reaction meant. "She has brown hair and brown eyes. And she wears her hair in buns."

Ino's eyes widened even further, if that was even possible. But she said nothing as Sakura continued.

"I know this because...I saw a picture of the two of them together at his house today - he drew my picture, Ino, is why I was there - and...and..."

She couldn't finish, for she began to tear up at the thoughts that came racing through her head. About Neji...about what he didn't know. About Sasuke, and his cheating. And now Tenten, the drunk woman who Sasuke took advantage of at that party on that fateful night that seemed so long ago, but wasn't. Now, Sakura knew that Tenten was Neji's girlfriend.

_Neji._

It all opened a fresh wound for Sakura.

She clenched her fingers around the counter's edge, her nails digging into the wooden railing of the ceramic tabletop. Her shoulders began to shake with sobs that she thought she released earlier in the arms of Neji, but apparently she hadn't fully given in to her emotions then and there because she felt so safe, wrapped up in his arms like a protective, strong fortress.

Ino rose from her seat, walking over to her friend who had obviously had a stressful day in contrast to her own jubilant one. She grasped Sakura's shoulder and spun her around to get her face to face.

Sakura found herself in someone's arms for the third time that day. All three occurrences had a different meaning. One of guilt, one of happiness, and now one of utter sorrow on Sakura's part. Ino held her friend close, tightly, and they just stood there as Sakura let all her emotions flood out of her in the form of tears.

"Ino..." She sniffled, staring at the wall in front of her, studying the wallpaper.

"Hm?"

"I just...feel so bad. Neji doesn't even know his girlfriend did that to him. And he's...he's...just...so nice! No one deserves to get cheated on like that, especially not someone as kind as Neji. And it wasn't even Tenten's fault. Sasuke made her go back there and everything escalated...and...and..." Sakura sobbed, closing her eyes and letting the wet tears slither down her porcelain cheeks, "It's just..."

Ino soothed her by stroking her hair in the way only a best friend can, waiting for her to finish what she had to say.

"I..."

Sakura searched her mind for the words to say, when the simplest ones said it the best.

She inhaled shakily, and with all the courage she had, she finally admitted it aloud.

"I'm falling for him."

* * *

_**End Chapter Nine.**_

_Now that wasn't too long to wait for an update, was it? (dodges things thrown at her) Okay, okay, maybe I should've been quicker. (dodges even more things) _

_Alright, so...things are progressing! I think they are going along quite smoothly. _

_For what happens next...oh, you'll just have to read and see. I'm really inspired to write this fic, even as I speak! So I think the next chapter will be out soon. Yup! At least after I update "Play My Song" and my HitsuRuki story. Haha. _

_Alright, well, I hope you review! It would mean a lot!_

_Arigato!_


	10. Affairs of the Heart

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Naruto!_

_Alright! We've reached ten chapters here on "Sketches". I know, crack open the champagne, bring out the male strippers (coughGaarakuncough), and rejoice!_

_Without further ado, here's the latest installment!_

* * *

**Sketches  
****Chapter Ten: Affairs of the Heart**

* * *

Neji awoke the next morning with the reluctance caused by not getting enough sleep, but also with the elation he felt due to meeting Sakura later today at the park. He sighed, rolling out of his bed with several clunky motions before heading to the bathroom. The brunette realized that his girlfriend hadn't come home last night, for Neji remembered lying in bed at eleven, attempting to go to sleep, but had intervals of tossing and turning that prevented that. That, and the image of pink and emerald that he couldn't get out of his head.

So, it was now nine o'clock in the morning, and Tenten was no where to be found.

_Where could she be? _

He ran a hand through his messy, unkempt hair and sighed. Neji couldn't remember her saying that she was going to be anywhere other than at work... He really needed to pay more attention. If he kept his mind focused on Sakura, then his and Tenten's relationship would suffer.

But part of him wondered if Tenten really cared anyway.

Or maybe he was thinking about himself and his own thoughts.

No...it was too terrible to think that way. Of course he cared deeply for Tenten, and she him. He was letting his thoughts get the better of him. Neji walked into the bathroom and started to run his shower water.

He stripped down and stepped into the warm spray of the shower. He shut his eyes for a moment, reveling in the comforting feeling it gave him. The brunette shampooed his hair and scrubbed his body, getting himself squeaky clean for his and Sakura's "date" in the park. He still needed to call and tell her what time would be best. Neji was thinking about arriving at lunchtime and spending a carefree day of relaxing with the pink haired woman. He hoped that she would want the same, and would say yes to the plan.

Neji left his hair limp and dangling about his shoulders as he walked into the living room, a white bath towel wrapped loosely around his hips. The slight droplets of water fell from his hair as he strode over to the phone, littering around the wooden floor beneath him. He picked up the device in his pale hand and looked at the caller ID. Finding her number, he pressed "call" and waited for it to ring.

He was greeted by a cheery, feminine voice on the other end that sounded like the girl was in mid-giggle when she answered. "Hello? Yamanaka and Haruno residence!"

Neji immediately recognized that the voice wasn't Sakura's. "Can I speak to Sakura, please?"

His ears were met with a suggestive giggle, and the girl over the phone called out, "Forehead, come get this!"

"Alright, pig!"

Neji smiled at her voice in the background. It sounded like she and this "pig" were close friends.

To his surprise, the girl said, "You must be Neji. I hope you and little Sakura have fun with your outing today."

Neji chuckled, but was pleasantly surprised. She had been talking about him to her friend? It was a feeling that filled him with a sense of flatteredness, but also a sense of wonderment. Hopefully Sakura said good things about him... "Oh, we will." He finally replied politely.

The girl laughed as well, "Alright, here she is."

"Thanks."

The pink haired girl's voice was the next thing he heard, "Neji?"

"Yes, it's me."

"Good morning! I'm glad you called!"

Neji couldn't help but grin brightly in a manner uncharacteristic of him. "Me too."

"So...are we still up for today?"

"Of course. That is, if you're up for another day with me."

"Always."

The frank way that she said it made him feel flustered, but also proud. Neji could hear her begin to take back what she said, because she probably felt it to be too upfront for him...because he had a girlfriend. And he knew how that made her feel about their time together. It made her feel guilty, dirty...wrong. Especially since she had been cheated on before. He knew she would hate to be the "other woman" in a situation like that, no matter how much she liked the guy she was seeing.

Neji placed the phone so it rested between his elbow and his shoulder as he poured a bowl of cereal. "So...what do you think about going to the park at lunch, and just hanging out there?" The brunette said as he added milk. "How about I pack some lunches for us to eat there as well?"

"Sounds great!" Sakura exclaimed over the other end. She then gasped as if she had a bad idea, which she shared with him in her next breath, "But are you sure? I mean, I don't want you to go through any extra trouble making me a box lunch..."

"It's fine, Sakura, I want to do it."

The emerald eyed girl giggled over the other line, "Alright then, if you _want _to do it."

He then looked at the clock, "Oh, it's ten thirty...I should get ready then. I just hope you're not a picky eater."

"Of course not."

"That's good." Neji said, smiling, and he was sure Sakura knew it even though they couldn't see each other, "Alright, well, I'll see you at the park at twelve."

"Twelve." She repeated in confirmation.

"See ya then." The brunette said, not entirely wanting to end the conversation so soon, "Bye."

"Bye, Neji."

* * *

Sakura hung up the phone with a grin on her face that not even Naruto could duplicate. She turned around and walked - or rather, _floated_- to her room. Her hair was still tangled from sleep, and she was still clad in her pajamas. She stretched, enjoying the fact that she was going to be able to spend more time with Neji today. It was all a wonderful thing that made her stomach leap at the sound of his voice, the mention of his name, and even anything that reminded her of him. The pink haired woman grabbed a towel out of the cabinet and raced hurriedly to the shower.

She took her time in the shower, carefully getting herself clean and ready for the day's events. Sakura found herself wondering why she was taking the extra time to shave her legs, the extra time to make sure she didn't reek, the extra time to blow dry her hair... But in the end, she knew why.

It was because of him.

The whole concept was idiotic. She knew he had a girlfriend. She knew he was living with her. She also knew that said girlfriend was the one that Sasuke cheated on her with in a moment of drunken passion. Not on his part, but on hers.

Sakura sighed as she exited the bathroom, a towel wrapped securely around her slender frame, stopping just above her mid-thighs. She let the towel drop to her ankles after she closed the door behind her. Sakura rummaged through her underwear drawer, getting what she needed from there before slipping it on and sighing. She ran a hand through her carnation locks as she walked to her closet.

_What to wear, what to wear? _The cotton candy haired girl tapped a finger to her chin in thought, emerald eyes scanning the contents of her closet.

After looking for a while, the pink haired girl finally settled on a pair of baggy khaki pants that hung off her hips loosely and an olive green shirt with quarter length sleeves, since it was beginning to get a little chilly outside. She brought out a pair of dark brown shoes and walked into the living room, throwing them down on the couch as she walked in the kitchen area to get a soda.

"Oh, where are you going, Sakura-chan?" An exuberant Naruto said, smiling as he walked out of Ino's bedroom.

"To the park," The Haruno girl replied simply, pouring the dark liquid into her glass.

"Oh a _daaate_?" The blonde teased, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"I dunno if you would call it that..." Sakura raised the glass to her lips and took a sip, "...but yeah, something like that."

"Have fun!" Naruto said, smiling as he brought out some strawberries from the refrigerator along with some melted chocolate and heading back to the bedroom.

"Oh, you look like you're gonna have some fun as well."

Naruto only grinned foxily, "Dattebayo!"

With that, the Uzumaki shut the door behind him, and Sakura could plainly hear Ino's giggles of delight through the door. The emerald eyed girl slapped her forehead, now extremely glad she was out of the house for the day. No doubt Naruto would be over all day, celebrating their engagement in several _interesting _ways, with no consideration for the more innocent ears that may be in the apartment.

Large eyes looked at the clock. _Eleven twenty...I should get going. _Sakura thought, half of her ready to go, while the other half just wanted to get away from the two blondes in the next room.

She didn't bother to shout out that she was leaving, the sounds coming from the other room told her that they weren't listening. After putting her shoes on, Sakura walked to the door and opened it.

She walked out into the hall and down the stairs, taking her time. Maybe the walk would let her think about some things.

Her thoughts were immediately clouded with the image of chestnut brown hair and ivory orbs.

Maybe she would've been better off not thinking about "things".

* * *

The pink haired girl walked down the street, passing each of the tall buildings swiftly, but not so fast as to look like she was rushing. The wind blew through her locks, making them fan away from her body, and ruffled her pants around her legs. Sakura sighed, yawning a bit. She didn't have a good night sleep last night. Or any night recently, for that matter. And she knew what - or, more appropriately _who_ - was the reason.

Sakura shook her head in frustration, trying to remove his image from her mind, but to no avail.

Nothing seemed to make her snap out of this reverie, until she saw him.

Uchiha Sasuke standing in the doorway to his apartment complex, smiling smugly, yet tenderly, at someone who definitely wasn't Hinata.

She stopped in her tracks to see a very pretty young woman with caramel brown hair twisted into two buns standing at the doorway, on the steps to the entrance of the apartment. She wore a pair of blue jeans and a pink shirt that hugged her slender form in an attractive manner. She was giggling at something Sasuke had said, obviously, and she muttered something of her own before leaning in and giving him a long, lingering kiss on the lips.

Sasuke's eyes stayed open during the gesture, but she noticed that they drifted past the brown haired girl to rest upon Sakura, arrogance in every depth of the onyx pools.

She gulped, feeling her heart stop in her chest in fear.

_Turn around, _Sakura thought desperately, _Turn around. Let me see your face. I need to know if you're - _

The girl turned, smiling as she did so. Emerald eyes connected with caramel. And Sakura knew.

"Tenten."

She said the name under her breath as if Neji could somehow hear her even though he was no where near.

Sakura closed her eyes and fisted a hand in her hair as she walked, not paying attention to where she was going. This caused her to bump face-first into something, or someone. Her eyes shot open, frantically apologizing as she did so, "I'm so sorry; I should've been watching where I was going..."

The caramel gaze she was met with was full of surprise and wonderment, "Oh, it's alright. Don't worry about it." There was a tinge of guilt lacing her voice, as if she knew someone had seen the public display of affection, even though she had no clue that this pink haired girl was about to meet her boyfriend for lunch in the park. Tenten gave her a kind smile, one like a mother would give. A slight realization crept into her eyes, "Do I know you from somewhere?"

Sakura's heart stopped. Did she know? How could she know about her and Neji? Neji wouldn't dare tell something like this to his girlfriend, but...but...

_Play it cool, Sakura, play it cool. _

"Hm...I don't know..." Sakura ventured, looking genuinely confused.

"Oh!" Tenten said, looking as if she remembered, "You were at that party at Shikamaru's, ne?"

After she asked that, her voice cut off sharply. Sakura knew she remembered what had happened that night at the party. That night when Sasuke took her in the back bedroom and ravished her. She had realized that Sakura was the woman who was dating the ice cube Uchiha, and that she was the one who had screamed at him, breaking up with him that very night. Tenten had realized that she had been the cause of the end of their relationship.

Sakura didn't acknowledge this. Didn't even mention the shocked look Tenten was giving her, as if she had seen a ghost. And, in some ways, it was true. The Haruno girl only smiled, and said, "Yeah, I was at the party. I remember you." She smiled in a kind manner, "It's nice to see you again..."

"Tenten." The brunette provided her name with a shaky, self-conscious smile, "I'm Tenten."

"Oh, yes," Sakura smiled again, feeling her heart shatter much like it had that night. But not because of Sasuke with Tenten, or because of the fact that Tenten was Neji's girlfriend, but because of Neji. The brown haired Hyuuga had no clue that...that _this _was going on. She doubted he even knew what had happened the first time, and now it had expanded into some kind of twisted, sick square. A square with her, Neji, Tenten, and Sasuke all muddled into one terrible relationship. It made her stomach churn, and her heart ache, "Nice to meet you - again, actually," Sakura said with a grin that looked much like Naruto's, "I'm Sakura."

Tenten chuckled, "Nice to meet you again, too, Sakura."

The brunette's eyes held something different than kindness, however. Her eyes were pleading Sakura, knowing that she remembered what had happened that fateful night at the party.

"Well, I'll see you around," Sakura said politely, "I gotta be getting somewhere."

The caramel eyed girl smiled in a gesture of understanding, and in some kind of an all-knowing manner. "Nice seeing you."

"Nice seeing you, too!" Sakura shouted over her shoulder with a wave as her walk turned into a jog, and her jog turned into a run.

She ran, not looking back at the most likely pitying glance Tenten was giving her. Sakura ran and ran, as if that was her escape from the world that seemed to be so harsh and cruel and uncaring at the moment. Her legs powered herself forward, strongly, with as much speed as she could muster. The Haruno girl got several odd looks, but she didn't care. Her head was aching, and she felt as if she could throw up any minute. Not to mention the fact that her heart felt as if it was about to burst out of her chest at any minute.

The clacking of her shoes on the cement was the only sound audible to her ears other than the occasional shout from the crowd around her. Her thoughts spoke louder than any unhappy bystander, stronger than any sound she could hear in the world right now.

_Tenten's with Sasuke._

_Sasuke, of all people!_

_And poor Hinata! I could tell she cared about him, even if she was too good for him and his ways..._

_What about Neji? Neji will be crushed if he finds out. He loves his girlfriend...so much, I can only imagine how much. _

_And Neji is so kind! He doesn't deserve any of this at all! Why should he have to be oblivious to the fact that his girlfriend cheated on him at a party a while back, and is still with the guy she cheated with? _

_Do I tell Neji?_

_No...I don't have the right. Why should I be the one to tell Neji that his relationship is going down the drain, that his girlfriend found someone else, that he needs to break it off before he gets even more hurt than he already is?! If anything, Tenten should be the one to tell. She was the one who did it; she'll no doubt feel guilty about what happened..._

_Or would she?_

_Of course she would! The look on her face - the look of a woman burdened by guilt... She will tell him, if not now, then sometime soon, most likely. _

_But what if she doesn't?_

_Should I tell him then?_

Sakura shook her head, her thoughts giving her an even larger headache than when she started. The barrage of questions, of facts, kept harrassing her without remorse it seems. And Sakura couldn't help but feel guilty that she had the power to tell Neji, to end all of this, and yet she was too scared to use it. She was too scared to hurt him, though she thought that holding this information longer would most likely make the outcome worse.

She felt tears prick her eyes from the stress of her situation as she ran, the wind burning them against the whites of her eyes.

_Damn it!_

The pink haired girl turned into the park, her run more of a quick jog now. The running had helped more than she though it would, but she was tired and her skin was flushed from the exertion. Her feet seemed sluggish as she continued to jog into the park area.

Sakura turned to the small, concrete benches that sat beside the large pond in the middle of the park, a river branching off and going into the woods nearby. She sighed in an exasperated manner and ran a hand through her wind blown hair, tangling her fingers in the rosette locks before plopping down on the stone seat. Her eyes were closed in thought, and also in a hopelessness she felt through her entire being.

Tears pricked the corners of her eyes and she furiously wiped them away with the back of her slender hand.

"Damn," She muttered to herself, "I can't let Neji find me like this..."

"Like what?" A deep, attractive voice said, and Sakura bolted upright.

"Neji!" She exclaimed and, despite herself, more tears fell down her cheeks. She blushed as she connected her eyes with his, knowing that hers were swollen and red-rimmed, much like the last time he saw her, which made this even worse, "Gosh, this is so embarrassing..."

The handsome Hyuuga was seated next to her on the bench, ivory orbs looking at her with concern and wonder, "What is?"

"Crying," Sakura sniffed, wiping away more tears, "Because that's the way you always see me, it seems." She let out a rough bark of a laugh that was hinged with bitterness.

"It doesn't bother me," Neji said, smiling. His hand reached out to graze her cheek gently, his fingertips brushing like butterfly wings against her skin. His thumb wiped away a stray tear and he continued, "It just makes me want to do whatever I can to make you feel better."

Her heart skipped at the kindness and sincerity of his words, and she felt more tears coming.

"Shh," Neji said, gathering her in his arms and relishing just how right it felt, "It's gonna be okay."

Sakura sighed and melted into his embrace, burying her face in his chest.

"Thank you, Neji."

* * *

_**End Chapter Ten.**_

_Well! There ya go! Chapter ten of "Sketches"! I hope you enjoyed what ya read! I know I enjoyed writing it. _

_I guess we can say that everything is out in the open with Tenten...or is it? Oh ho ho!_

_Anyway, I really hope you read and review this chapter. It would mean a lot. Any review is appreciated! And, by the way, I do not hate Tenten! She has really grown on me, but this is just the plot of my story, and I am not bashing her in any way at all. (grins)_

_Arigato!_


	11. Tangled Up In You

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Naruto!_

_Alright, here it is! The eleventh chapter of Sketches! Oh, yes, be happy! Lol. I'm sure you all just want to beat my head into the dirt, but read the chapter and see if you still wanna do that! Haha, you'll have to catch me first! (runs off)_

* * *

**Sketches  
****Chapter Eleven: Tangled Up In You**

* * *

_Slow your roll, Sakura. Just. Calm. Down! _

But it was very hard to concentrate when one of the most attractive men she had ever laid eyes on was sitting across from her, smiling so gently it caused her heart to ache.

The two had set out a picnic blanket underneath a large tree, to give them shade. Neji then brought out several containers of food, setting them down a fair distance apart from each other, and opening each one before sticking a spoon in each. Sakura's eyes lit up as she saw several of her favorites - chicken, mashed potatoes, and several other vegetables.

The brunette Hyuuga jerked her out of her reverie over the food by smiling and saying, "I hope you like strawberries."

Sakura turned to face Neji, eyes alight with pleasure. "_Strawberries_?"

Neji nodded with a smile at the childlike wonder in the carnation haired girl's eyes, "Yeah," He said, taking out the box of fresh strawberries he had brought from the market earlier. He placed them on the little blanket the two were sitting on and leaned back, taking in the sight of the elated pink haired woman. Her hands were clasped in front of her chest, fingers intertwined. Her eyes were bright and glittering with happiness. Her short, pink hair was blowing slightly in the pleasant breeze that swirled around the both of them. He chuckled and pulled the plastic wrap from the top of the container, "I assume you like strawberries."

"Of _course_!" She all but shouted, emerald eyes boring holes into the package.

The Hyuuga smiled and pushed the strawberries toward her. "Here, take all you want."

"Heck yes!" Sakura said with an enthusiasm that Neji could only smile at. She grabbed a handful of the red fruit and began chowing down, before she stopped and looked at Neji guiltily, "Um...'re you...shure you don't wawnt anyy?" She said, her mouth full, the sticky juices dribbling down her chin, but she didn't seem to care.

Neji smiled gently as he reached out with his thumb and wiped away the sweet juice from her chin before putting it to his mouth and taking a taste. "Mm."

Sakura's face was as red as the strawberries as she sputtered out some incoherent words that Neji chuckled at.

"You're cute." He said, smiling at her with an expression that made her heart begin beating in miles per hour.

"Uh...agh..."

"You didn't like that?"

"Well, I...uh..."

"Worried about Tenten, ne?"

"I..."

Suddenly, the truths that had evaded Sakura for so long came shooting back to her. She shook her head, cotton candy locks blurring her vision for a second before she rose from the blanket and went racing to the pond, kicking her shoes off as she went. Sakura laughed, but she didn't know if it was due to happiness or just her being hysterical from all the things that were put on her back in the last few hours. She arrived at the bank of the pond and rolled up the legs of her pants to above her knees.

"S-Sakura," Neji called as he followed her, her shoes in his hands, a incredulous look on his features, "Have you _lost _your mind?"

The pink haired girl turned around just as she stepped into the pond water. "Oh, no, not at all!" She laughed nervously, scratching the back of her head and closing her eyes in a smile, much like Naruto often did.

She kicked her legs as she walked in deeper, causing a spray of water to fling from the appendages. She laughed as the cool water came into contact with her skin, causing chill bumps to cover them, as well as make the hair on her arms stand up slightly. Droplets of the cool substance flew and landed in her hair, lingering there like crystals.

Neji finally caught up with her and grasped her hand, "Sakura, what's the matter?"

"Nothing!" She chirped, keeping her back facing him, afraid that her eyes would betray her.

But also afraid of the searing electricity shooting through her body where he touched her. It was a pleasant burn, if that was even possible. His touch caused strange reactions within her chest, her heart jumping like it had been shocked to life once more after her breathing stopped.

"Sakura." He said her name seriously, using a tone that she had never heard him use before.

"What, can't a girl play in the water without being judged?" She chided back playfully, gently prying her wrist, but the effects of his touch still seared the skin where he had his hold.

"Sakura...something's wrong." Neji said, his eyes studying the back of her head. "I know you...I mean, I might not know you as well as some people do, but...I _do _know when something is bothering you."

She giggled cluelessly, copying all the times when Ino wanted to keep something from her. "Oh, no, I really don't - "

At that point, Neji spun her around to face him, strong hands on her shoulders, and again the scorching began. "Sakura, _please_."

She muttered something incoherently, ducking her head, keeping herself from meeting his ivory depths.

"What?" The brunette man asked urgently, concernedly, placing his finger underneath her chin.

Sighing, she raised her head to connect her eyes with his. Immediately, Neji was struck by the pained nature of her gaze. His eyebrows knitted together, confused, and he said, "Sakura..."

"It's not my secret to tell, Neji."

Neji's eyes softened, though his curiosity was killing him. She was such a sweet, selfless girl that his heart lurched just thinking about what she was going through. Just by looking at her tortured expression, he could see that it was a huge secret that threatened to swallow her whole. The brunette sighed in defeat and reached out a slender hand to brush at the stray strands of hair stuck to her cheek by the water that had settled there. The pads of his fingers brushed gently as a butterfly's wings against her skin, the flesh where he touched turned pink, something he pretended not to notice.

"Alright, Sakura," Neji said, giving her a smile. "Just relax. Everything will be fine, okay?" He cupped her cheek and it sent chills running up and down her spine.

"Y-Yeah..." She stumbled over the simplest of words. Damn that Hyuuga boy!

"Now, let's get you out of here before you catch a cold."

With that, Neji lifted Sakura up as if she were as light as a feather and cradled her in his arms like a new bride.

That most certainly didn't help her racing heart.

Or the guilt she felt at being with him.

She closed her emerald eyes and inhaled a shaky breath as he carried her slender form over to the picnic blanket and sat her down. "Now," He said finally with a crooked smile after he own heart, "Why don't we enjoy this lunch?"

"Of course."

"What would you like?" Neji asked, smiling at her flushed cheeks and deep breathing. "I've got - "

_"Beep! Beep! Beep! Phone call! Pick up the phone! "_

Sakura started at the noise and scrambled to find her cell phone. Flipping the device open, she was met with an odd number that she did not know. She gave Neji an embarrassed look and quirked a pale pink brow, "Hello?"

"Sakura?"

That voice sounded oddly familiar, "H-_Hinata_? How'd you get my number?"

Neji perked at the sound of his cousin's name.

"I-I...found Sasuke's phone and...got your number." She said, and Sakura's eyes widened. The navy haired girl on the other line sounded like she just got done bawling her eyes out. "Apparently, he hadn't deleted it after all this time, either."

"Hinata...is something wrong?"

"Well, I...hate to complain..."

"You can tell me, Hinata," Sakura encouraged, "We were best friends in high school, remember?"

"I just broke it off with Sasuke..." She said, then sniffled. Before Sakura could ask why, Hinata continued with, "...he was _cheating _on me." She said in such a bitter tone, full of resentment, that the pink haired girl hardly recognized the Hyuuga woman's voice.

"No...are you kidding?" Sakura felt rage build inside her and she subconsciously clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms. "_Bastard_."

"I-I'm serious..." Hinata said before taking in a deep, shaky breath. "With some brown haired woman...I am not really sure who she is, but I have seen her before. She wears her hair in buns..."

The pink haired woman felt her heart do a leap in nervousness at that, "Oh...really?"

"Yes," She replied, and Sakura heard a sigh over the phone, "I heard something vibrating in the house...it was his cell phone. Or _one _of his phones, I should say. The phone I heard was the one he used to talk to _her_. Then he had one for everyday purposes - the one he used when he talked to me. So I answered the phone and heard a woman ask where Sasuke was and...yeah...we got to talking. I think she said her name was Tenten - "

Sakura didn't say the name out loud, for Neji was looking at her intently, his ivory orbs boring a hole in her, "The same girl he cheated on me with." She clarified, not being surprised, just stating a fact.

"Oh...I'm so sorry, Sakura," Hinata said politely, "I am so stupid..."

"Aren't we all?" Sakura replied wryly with a scoffing laugh.

Hinata laughed at that too, "That's about right."

"Well, Hinata, I have to go. I'm hanging out at the park with your cousin..." She heard Hinata chuckle over the line at that, "So I will talk to you later. And, girl, don't worry. Sasuke is an asshole. There are so many other great guys out there. Sasuke's a stupid minnow in a world of colorful fish."

"Thank you, Sakura," Hinata said gratefully, "I will talk to you later as well. Have a good day."

"Thanks."

Before Sakura could press the end button, Hinata said, "Oh! And Sakura?"

"Yes?"

"You and Neji look wonderful together. I don't think I've seen him so happy in a long time."

_Click._

The line went dead.

And Sakura's cheeks went from normal to red once again.

She hung up the phone and sighed, turning her head to Neji, who looked ready to kill the bastard who hurt his beloved cousin. His fists were clenched into tight balls, the tendons standing out among the pale flesh. He had heard the conversation on Sakura's part and that was enough - the words _cheating _and _Sasuke _were uttered from Sakura's pink lips and he knew what had happened. His eyebrows were pulled over his eyes, casting a deep frown across his handsome features. Sakura had to resist the urge to embrace him and tell him it was all okay.

"Do I even need to ask." Neji said, a statement more than a question, through clenched teeth.

"No," Sakura said in a soothing tone, and - by her imagination or otherwise - she saw a change in Neji's posture, his shoulders relaxed, and his eyes lightened somewhat. "Hinata broke it off with Sasuke. He was cheating on her with some...brown haired girl, she said. That's all she knew."

"_Bastard_." Neji snarled in an almost exact mimic of Sakura's voice from earlier. But...the way Sakura said _brown haired girl _made Neji wonder just _who _exactly Sasuke had cheated on her with. He shook his head, ignoring the sense of paranoia. No. It couldn't be _his _brown haired girl. No. Not a chance.

"That's what I said." Sakura giggled as she suddenly felt a chill go through her body. Looking down at her feet, she saw they were still wet and without her shoes. The breeze had gotten even chillier as the day had gone on, and she was beginning to think her little "distraction in the pond" would not go unpunished. Maybe Neji was right and she was going to catch a cold.

This did not go unnoticed by Neji, for he said, "Do you want my coat?"

Sakura didn't realize she had been trembling and she said, "No...then you'd get cold, stupid."

Neji chuckled at her comment and pulled his jacket off before slumping it across Sakura's back. She glared at him, not wanting him to catch cold, either, but when he looked at her pleadingly, she couldn't resist. The pink haired girl shoved her arms in the sleeves, finding them longer than her arms went. The coat was quite comfy and warm, and it smelled of the scent of pencil dust and the outdoors - so identifiably _Hyuuga Neji_. She secretly breathed in, wanting to commit his smell to memory.

_Wow, Sakura, you got it __**bad**__._

Sakura smiled to herself as she added, "Oh, Hinata also said that we looked cute together."

No, that was not exactly what the Hyuuga woman said, but Sakura didn't feel to tell Neji every detail, afraid to scare him away from her.

"Well, of course," Neji teased smugly, "We both got the cute thing down pat."

Sakura laughed, and then sneezed several times in succession. "Oh...crap."

"See? What'd I tell you?" Neji scolded gently, bending down to tighten his jacket around Sakura's shoulders. "You're getting sick."

Sakura sniffed, her nose feeling like it was about to close up any second, and said, "Nuh uh."

The wind was picking up devilishly fast now, swirling around the two. It was much colder than what Sakura had dressed for. She gulped as she sneezed once more before groaning in distaste. "Oh...no..."

"Don't say I didn't tell you so."

"I didn't."

Neji smiled at her innocent expression and leaned forward, pressing the back of his hand to each of her cheeks and then the palm to her forhead. "You do feel warm, Sakura."

Sakura's heartbeat sped up onehundredfold and she could feel her blood pulsing, hot and fast, through her veins to coat her cheeks a pretty scarlet. She could feel the slight breaths coming from between Neji's slightly parted lips. Oh, how easy it would be to lean forward and capture his mouth with her own...

But she couldn't.

That might ruin their friendship. And, though she had only known him for a short while, she felt like they had built something _real_. Of value. And she didn't want to let that go by giving in to her desires.

So she didn't.

Even though Neji's eyes had caught hers, and she couldn't look away.

Even though he was giving her the most irresistibly caring look imaginable.

Even though she was..._falling _for him.

She didn't kiss him.

She wouldn't.

She _couldn't_.

Another sneeze interrupted her thoughts and suddenly made her feel like kissing him would be a very bad idea for another reason - being contagious.

"Ah, damn," Neji cursed, looking up to the sky. Small drops of rain had begun to fall gently down to the earth. The two hadn't noticed the clouds rolling in like ominous predictors of rain, neither had they noticed the fact that the other park-goers had long since cleared out of the once sunny little area.

Sakura realized with a grin that they had been too wrapped up in each other to pay the clouds any mind.

She suddenly saw Neji tossing everything into his pack in a haphazard manner, not caring about order or anything else. He slung his damp pack onto his shoulders and wrapped his arm around Sakura's thin waist, resting gently on her hips, his arm grazing gently against the small of her back. She took in a sharp inhalation of breath, hoping that Neji wouldn't notice the sound it made as it came through her clenched teeth.

Unfortunately, he did, "Sakura, did I hurt you?"

"N-No," Sakura smiled up at him as if nothing was wrong.

Which was a lie. Where he touched her, it was the same feeling as before, when his strong hand grasped her wrist, except more intensified. If that was even possible. His arm could have been a scorching, iron bar holding her in place, and she wouldn't have noticed. It sent the same sensations trembling through her form, causing her to get warmer, but still leaving goosebumps creeping along her arms and neck.

He held her close as the two strode quickly to get out of the rain, and she felt deja vu, since this was the second time the two had to do this. Neji's arm was strong around her, helping her when she stumbled over her feet, leading her through the rain as it got heavier. She didn't even realize when the two arrived at her apartment building until the rain had stopped from above her, and she noticed they were heading for her elevator, which had recently gotten repaired.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Neji said, looking at her concernedly. His arm had not loosened its grip, even though they were in the warm confines of the elevator. Maybe, Sakura hoped, he was reluctant to let go. But that may just be a part of her romantic delusions regarding this man.

She hadn't noticed she was still shivering, but she replied, "Yeah...I'm gonna be g-g-g-good."

Neji's arm tightened around her to calm her trembling form and clattering teeth. The elevator went _ding! _as the arrived at her floor. Sakura was surprised the brown haired man actually remembered what floor she lived on, but dismissed it as the two exited the elevator and walked down the stretch of hallway to Sakura's room. She coughed a bit - _damn_, she was getting sick rather fast! - and smiled up at Neji, who had not even budged his arm since they left the sliding doors of the apartment complex.

"Are you gonna be alright?" Neji asked, nodding his head toward her door as she fumbled for the keys. "Or do I need to unlock the door for you?" He smirked and Sakura felt her cheeks redden in embarrassment.

"N-No, I'm g-g-g-good."

"O-O-O-Okay." Neji teased, holding her closer.

Sakura stiffened slightly. Did he just press his cheek against the crown of her forhead?

She looked up.

Yes. Yes, he did.

She inhaled a shaky breath and opened the door to her apartment. Neji let go of her slowly, almost reluctantly, as if the bones in his arm were permanently secured around her slim waist. Sakura felt the heat of his touch even when he had let her go. It seared along her hips, her back, and even the place on her head where his cheek had rested for that one moment she wanted to keep in her mind. It was as if her very blood was burning underneath the skin, activated by his touch. _Only _his touch.

Smiling, she turned to face him, feeling her head getting stuffy as she did so, "Thank you for today, even though we got rained out."

Neji chuckled at this, "Well, that just means we have to make this up some other time."

Her heart leapt at that. So he was planning on seeing her again. She was so excited she couldn't bear it. "Of course."

Then, Neji moved in to her so swiftly it took her a while to realize what he was doing. Soft lips touched her forhead gently in a kiss. Sakura inhaled deeply, shakily, and froze, as if the water on her body had suddenly solidified. She gulped and Neji parted, giving her a fond smile at the red on her cheeks. "Till next time, Sakura."

"Y-Yes, till next time, Neji."

"Have a good one."

"You too."

With that, he turned and walked away, Sakura watching him until he was out of sight, then shutting the door behind him, her heart pounding furiously inside her chest, blood pulsing through every body part, breath coming out in flustered pants. _Hyuuga Neji...damn you! _

"Damn...it..."

* * *

"Neji, you're soaked!"

The water rolled off of Neji's body as he shook his head to and fro, making the water drops fling from his long, brunette mane and splatter onto the floor and walls. He then realized he left his coat with Sakura and sighed, remembering the look on the girl's face when he kissed her forhead. _Stupid! Dumbass! Good-for-nothing...ugh!_

He replied, "Ah, yeah. Me and my friend were having lunch in the park and we got caught in the storm." Neji laughed in a carefree manner, showing just how happy his day with Sakura had been, even though it hadn't ended like he planned.

"Oh, well, did you have fun?"

"Yes. Loads." _You have no idea, dear._

Tenten smiled and walked to Neji before pressing her lips against his in a kiss filled with...something. Something he couldn't identify. She parted from him and gave him a seductive look, eyes smoldering like caramel gems, "Want to let me warm you up?"

The brown haired Hyuuga laughed, though he felt guilty for a reason beyond him.

Well, it wasn't so far beyond him.

It was because of Sakura, he knew.

Tenten didn't even wait for his answer, she was pulling him to the bedroom intent on no doubt wearing him out. He followed, not wanting to reject her and hurt her feelings. No matter what he felt for Sakura, he didn't want to harm Tenten in the process.

But as she pushed him down on the bed, he found his conscious telling him what Sakura had said off-handedly, in a strange tone, to him in the park.

_"... He was cheating on her with some...brown haired girl, she said. That's all she knew."_

The words repeated in his head, centering on one phrase in particular, and the connotations in Sakura's voice as she spoke.

Brown haired girl.

_Brown haired girl._

No, he couldn't think that way. He couldn't actually believe that Tenten was cheating on him. He had no proof! So he sighed as the brunette straddled his waist and pulled his soaked shirt over his head, mouth working against the muscle of his neck. She giggled as she gave a playful nip to his collarbone before she removed her own shirt and his eyes travelled over her form.

No...he couldn't think that way. Not if...

His thoughts were interrupted as his eyes passed over something unfamiliar. A small, reddish purple bruise in the shape of a circle, just above her right breast, marred her otherwise perfect skin, except for the one right underneath her left breast. His eyes travelled upward, and saw one just beneath her ear. _Hickeys? _Neji thought, his eyes widening. He never made a love mark like that on Tenten. Ever. In fact, he didn't remember even kissing her there the last time they made love...

She obviously realized his eyes were lingering too long so she dove down to kiss his pectorals, steadily going lower, knowing her objective. Almost to make him forget what he just saw.

But, no, of _course _he could be mistaken.

_"...some brown haired girl..."_

Tenten wouldn't cheat. She loved him too much...but...

But, deep inside the back of Neji's skull, he wondered if he was kidding himself.

* * *

_**End Chapter Eleven.**_

_Oh my gosh, it's done! Chapter eleven is DONE! I'm so happy! Like, I never thought I would get done with this chapter...I had a terrible case of writer's block and it was just __**awful**__! But I'm back now, hopefully for good. I hope I never get that bad of a writer's block again. I mean...GOSH! _

_Okay, so I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I think it wasn't too boring. In fact, quite a few things are presented in this chapter, and I hope you liked it, seeing as long as it took me to actually get this out! Gosh...I'm soooo incredibly sorry for making y'all wait!_

_Anyway, reviews are greatly appreciated and rewarded with candy and Neji plushies! Spread the NejiSaku love!_

_Arigato!_


	12. Addicted

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Naruto!_

_Okay, here's chapter twelve! I know I really should update sooner, but I've been really distracted by other things...and just, yeah. I hope you enjoy this chapter! The responses for the last one were amazing and I thank each and every one of you soooo very much!_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

**Sketches  
****Chapter Twelve: Addicted**

* * *

Beneath the heavy curtain of his eyelids, he dreamed.

He dreamed of Sakura's smile, her laugh, her touch. The way she would say his name. The way she would always light up at even the littlest, most insignificant of moments that the two had together.

He dreamed of her lips against his, melding and meshing together. He dreamed of how she would _be _- how her breasts would feel pressed against him; how her legs would feel wrapped around his waist; how her hair would feel between his fingers; how her lips would feel against the side of his neck, his chest; how she would moan his name as she climaxed.

"Oh..._Neji_..."

And the two would collapse on top of one another, panting and knowing that it was _right_. And they should've been doing this the whole time.

Neji woke up with moisture dewing his brow, the sheets soaked in sweat around him. Ivory orbs narrowed, looking down and realizing that his body had reacted to the way the dream had effected his psyche. He got up, headed to the shower to take a particularly _cold _one.

Thank goodness Tenten had left earlier, he realized with a relieved sigh as he walked into the bathroom, not before grabbing a clean t-shirt, shorts, and boxers.

He turned the water on and stepped into the shower, shivering when the icy water came into contact with his skin, goosebumps automatically forming at the touch. Neji closed his eyes and just...wondered.

He wondered about where their relationship was headed. What would become of him and Sakura? He was beginning to feel awfully attached to the girl, and really couldn't imagine being away from her for a long period of time. But then there was Tenten...

Neji thought back to the hickeys he saw last night. The way Tenten kissed him passionately, but still had guilt hidden in her caramel depths, even after they made love.

He shook his head to rid himself of those thoughts. No...Tenten wouldn't cheat. Never. But, even though that's where he stood with that, he couldn't help but have that annoying feeling that he was missing something vital. Neji finished up in the shower, back to his normal, pre-Sakura dream self, and dressed before coming out of the bathroom, looking and feeling refreshed.

Neji tied his damp hair back in a low tail, as he usually did, and sat down on the edge of the bed, contemplating what to do. He didn't have much of anything planned. Maybe sketch a few things... He did have one thing he wanted to do.

There was an art gallery being held in Paris in a couple of months. Neji wanted to submit a piece of his work to be shown there. The portraits that got shown there every year brought instant recognition and fame to their artists. He had entered before, but never had he been chosen. The piece of artwork for the art gallery had to be submitted in just two weeks.

He already knew who he wanted to paint.

Sakura.

The first picture he drew of her was absolutely breathtaking, but it was only in pencil. The art gallery required something to be painted, in a frame. The object had to be a person. And with her bright, vibrant, carnation hair and forest green eyes, Sakura would be a bold statement for any artist to behold. Now...Neji just had to ask her if she was willing...

Willing to be his model once more and also...willing to do it _nude_.

The gallery was one of the breeding grounds for all the up-and-coming artists in America, and they showcased specifically nude paintings. Neji gulped when he thought of the first time he saw Sakura in next to nothing, then dismissed it. Didn't want what happened in his dream to happen to him now. He didn't want to have to take another shower.

Neji's thoughts drifted to the gallery, and how everyone would marvel at the pink haired, green eyed, exotic beauty. Her features were very rare. Pale skin, taut limbs, slender physique. Certainly, if he painted her right, she would be the talk of the gallery.

And, frankly, if Sakura wasn't willing to do it, that was that.

No other woman had given him the inspiration to paint, to sketch, to draw, the way Sakura had, without even realizing it. Strange, he knew, but it was the truth. Of course, he could paint Tenten, but...he didn't _want_ to, for some reason.

He sighed, closing his eyes. Immediately, the cheery grin, the large emerald eyes, the carnation hair, popped into his mind and he felt his heart lurch within his chest.

Neji needed another hit of the drug that was Haruno Sakura.

* * *

"A-A-_Achoo_!"

Sakura was lying on the couch, clad in a baggy t-shirt and sweatpants. The thin girl was almost buried underneath at least two layers of blankets. Tissues were scattered around her, and a box of Kleenex was sitting, almost used up, in the center of the coffee table. Next to that lay a bowl of half-eaten chicken noodle soup, courtesy of Ino's cooking skills. Thank goodness someone was able to put soup in the microwave without spilling it all over everything.

Her face was flushed, she knew that much. But though the color on her cheeks indicated she was hot, she was shivering, teeth clattering together pathetically. She inhaled sharply, then sneezed once more in a violently comical action. Sakura reached out to the Kleenex and grasped several sheets and then blew her nose into it while groaning, her voice altered by her nose being stopped up.

Yes, Haruno Sakura had a cold.

And a very bad, annoying cold at that.

Ino had left her this morning, a giddy mess of a blonde, to go set up her wedding with the planner. Not before setting Sakura up on the couch in front of the television, remote within reach, a bowl of soup at her disposal, and two boxes of tissues to get her through the day. Not to mention burying the girl in blankets to keep her warm.

She sneezed again and regretted the lapse in judgement that had her playing in the pond on her and Neji's little outing yesterday.

_Ring, ring, ring!_

Sakura's emerald eyes, heavy lidded and tired looking, widened marginally before realizing that Ino had not put the chord-less phone within her reach. She actually had to get up from her comfortable position now! "Ugh," She groaned lazily as she rose from her makeshift sanctuary as the sounds of the latest drama on Maury unfolded.

_Ring, ring, ri - _

She cut off the third ring by picking up the phone and pressing the talk button, "Hello? Yamanaka and Haruno residence. Haruno speaking." Wow, she really _did _sound cruddy. Coughing, she waited for the reply.

"_Sakura_?"

Her heart stopped in her chest. She would know that voice anywhere, "O-Oh, hello, Neji!" Her attempt at cheerfulness was trumped by the fact that her voice sounded so congested and sickly. _Yeah, no doubt Neji would be attracted to __**that**__. _She thought with sharp sarcasm. "What's up?"

"Are you sick, Sakura?"

"Ha! Why, how could you ever think _that_?"

"You sound like you have some kind of disease." He joked lightly, "And a serious one."

Sakura laughed along with him, "Actually, I've grown a couple of warts. I think it's due to hanging out with you so much."

She heard him chuckle throatily over the other line. Chills ran up and down her spine, and she was pretty sure that those weren't caused by her current cold. Neji replied, "Hm, I'm a frog now, ne?"

Sakura only laughed in response.

"But seriously," Neji said, his voice alive with concern, "Are you alright?"

Sakura coughed, "Y-Yeah..." She trailed off as a shiver erupted down her spine, "I just have a cold...ya know, from going in the water like a dummy yesterday. Apparently, you were right about me catching cold." She laughed with irony, twirling a strand of limp pink hair in between her fingers. As if to reiterate her point, she gave a rough cough after she was done speaking.

"I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Wh-_What_!" Sakura shouted, but then before she could form a more coherent protest, she coughed several raw times in succession. She caught her breath and continued, "Neji...Neji, that's really not neces- " The pink haired woman was cut off by another fit of coughs.

"Yes. It is." Neji said with utmost seriousness into the phone. Sakura could hear the shuffling of feet around his apartment and the sound of him putting his arms through his jacket with the phone stuck between his ear and his shoulder, no doubt. "I'll be there as fast as I can, alright. Just unlock the door for me."

"Neji, please don't trouble yourself - "

"Sakura, don't even try to deter me. I'm coming. I'll see you there."

_Click._

The line went dead. Sakura gazed at the phone with incredulity, pink brows knitting together in confusion as she pressed the button to turn the device off. Her heart was suddenly beating frantically, at a pace that almost was identical to the syllables in "Hyuuga Neji." She groaned as she walked back to the couch, but not before unlocking the door for him. After that task was done, she flopped in a disheveled pile of Haruno on the couch as some woman screamed at her supposed "baby daddy" and slapped the "whore" that slept with him.

She watched this pattern repeat for a while, wondering how the hell someone could sleep with twenty men in one week - that's what this one "teen out of control" claimed, anyway - and sipped some of her cold chicken soup.

That's when she was interrupted by the creaking of the door opening to her apartment.

A part of her wanted to scream and run around, due to the fact that she was alone and because she was watched way too many horror movies in her lifetime. Another part, a more rational part, knew it was Neji, and her heart sped up double time as she thought of him in her apartment. Just the two of them.

Alone.

She shook her head as she coughed. No, that was stupid to even think that way. Neji had a _girlfriend_. And it's not like he would find her sexy in the least bit right now since she was a walking disease.

"Sakura?" Neji's soft voice called out.

"Over 'ere." Sakura ventured, her voice sounding even more cruddy than before. She tried to clear her throat, but to no avail. The pink haired woman sighed and then yawned.

She heard his soft, gentle, cautious footsteps approach. In a reflexive move, she turned her head in time to see him round the corner to peek in the den, where she lay curled up on the couch, unrecognizable in the mass of blankets that surrounded her except for the tell-tale mop of pink hair that emerged from atop the pile of quilts. "Hey," She said somewhat shyly, feeling stupid for not have taking his advice yesterday and _staying the hell out of that water_. "What's up?"

Neji walked swiftly over to the front of the couch, blocking Sakura's view of the current bitch-fight going on. He held out a hand and placed it on Sakura's head. His hand was freezing, no doubt from the recent cold spell they've been having. But, despite the coldness of his hand, where he touched her, Sakura felt _warm_. And this feeling wasn't due to the cold, she knew that much.

"You're burning up."

"That's what Ino said." Sakura offered lamely, "So she buried me in blankets and made me chicken noodle soup."

"Where is she, anyway?" His voice held an edge to it.

"She had a meeting with the wedding planner. She's marrying Naruto, by the way."

Neji totally ignored the bit of information meant to throw him off guard, "And she left you to fend for yourself."

"Well...I guess you could put it that way."

The brunette Hyuuga stomped off, not before taking the now cold and stale chicken noodle soup with him. She winced when she heard the plates crash into the sink. Sakura was certain he'd broken _something_, but she couldn't find the energy to care. She was feeling lethargic, and now that Neji had gone into the kitchen, she had a clear view of the "baby mama drama."

She heard the water come on, then Neji rummaging through the kitchen cabinets for something. Then Sakura listened to a satisfied, "There!" and heard more running water. All the while, the drama intensified on Maury...

_"Oh, no you di-n't, bitch!"_

_"Oh, I just did, girl!"_

_SMACK!_

Sakura laughed as the girl's glasses flew off her head as one of the overly large women slapped her. But, laughing had a price, and she coughed vigorously, keeping on for at least a minute before Neji rushed in with a cold towel and a glass of water. "Here."

The carnation haired girl looked up, blinking innocently, "Neji..."

"Take it."

Shaky hands reached out and grasped the glass of water, while Neji laid the cold compress over her forehead, causing her to sigh with contentment as the icy towel made contact with her heated skin - funny, she thought she was cold, of all things. She shivered as the water from the towel ran down her head and neck. The brunette Hyuuga then held out his large hand, two pills sitting in it, "Take this as well. Tylenol."

"Ah, yes," She'd forgotten they had Tylenol. Sakura took the pills gratefully, gulping down the water afterward. She then sighed contently and leaned back into the cushions of the couch, more comfortable now than she had been hours ago...when Neji wasn't there.

"Would you like to try eating some soup?" Neji asked politely, "Well, _warm _soup, that is."

"If you don't mind..." Sakura said, feeling bad that Neji had to wait on her like this when he shouldn't have to, "Please..."

Ivory orbs softened as he nodded and walked into the kitchen.

_"Kisha ain't my kid!"_

_"You shut up and take responsibility, you prick!"_

_"You the town bicycle! How am I supposed to know that's my kid and not Ray Ray's or Ben's or Jason's?!"_

_"Shut up!!" _

A loud, trilling laugh erupted from Sakura's throat. Then, like some kind of sick process, she coughed in repetition several more times. She could hear Neji roaming around in the kitchen once again, not doubt looking for the soup. She blinked lazily, unwilling to look away from the fight on the television, but she did anyway. "Neji?"

"Yes?"

"Soup's in the first cabinet to the left of the sink."

Neji laughed nervously, as if he had been looking everywhere except where Sakura just said. "Thanks, babe."

Her eyes widened. _Babe? Did he just call me...__**babe**__? _

The Haruno woman's heart started to go double time and she placed one hand in the valley between her breasts as if to calm it. But, of course it didn't work. She inhaled a shaky breath and knew she was blushing automatically. Babe? How could such a simple term of endearment make her heart accelerate like that? And this feeling, the feeling of _despair_that just washed over her like a heavy fog... That simple word caused that as well, and Sakura was puzzled.

She heard the buttons of the microwave being pushed a bit after Neji ran the necessary water into the bowl of chicken noodle soup. Then she heard the definitive buzzing of the old microwave as it went to work heating up her food. Sakura found herself enjoying the normality of it all. Having a guy take care of her until she felt better... She enjoyed it more that she thought she would.

Two minutes later, the microwave _dinged! _and she knew her soup was ready. Sakura heard Neji open the door to the microwave and inhale through his teeth as if he had been burned. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just _peachy_!" He called back, his voice strained.

She heard the padding of his feet against the floor of the kitchen, as they switched from the tile to the wooden surface. The bowl clinked slightly against the plate it was sitting on. Neji set the food down in front of her. She looked and saw that he had hastily cleaned up some where he spilled it, as well as put a few crackers on the plate, alongside the bowl. She looked up at him, emerald eyes happy, "Thank you, Neji!"

Neji placed the bowl onto the coffee table in front of Sakura and she shifted in her blankets, freeing her arms from the confines of the warm coccoon. Sighing, but drawing a series of coughs as she did so, she looked up at the brunette Hyuuga and laughed through it, "That's - _cough_ - very- _cough_ - nice of - _cough _- you - " She couldn't finish, for she was enveloped in an all-out coughing fit.

As she was quieting the majority of the coughs erupting from her chest, she felt a slight pressure on her head as Neji placed his hand on her pink hair. The same, uncanny tingling worked from the point of contact, spread from the place where he had his hand to every part of her body. She shivered at the feeling, although pleasant, it scared her.

"Are you cold?" Oh, no. Neji noticed.

"N-No," Sakura ventured, a slight stutter marring her words. She snuggled deeper into her pile of blankets.

"How are you going to eat when you do that?" Neji asked, amused.

"Uh..." Sakura thought for a moment, and then freed herself once more, "Right." She leaned over and grasped the bowl, which was still slightly warm and brought it into her lap, while Neji sat beside her, his arm around her on the back of the couch. She felt her heartbeat increase as he did this, and she wondered idly why his arm was around her. She didn't mind, though.

Before her hands could grasp the spoon, strong hands reached out in place of her own and took hold of the utensil, "Here." He held it in front of her lips, waggling it slightly.

A fresh coat of red adorned her cheeks, and again it had nothing to do with her sickness, "Ah..."

Neji just smiled and fed her the soup. Her lips closed around the spoon and Neji felt something tingle in his stomach and work its way down. She then put her hand over the artist's and took the spoon from him, "As much as I enjoy your determination to treat me like I'm terminally ill...I can feed myself, Neji."

The brunette's lips quirked to the side in a smirk, "Maybe I was enjoying that, though."

Sakura blushed brighter.

Ivory orbs, colored like the white keys of a piano, looked into her emerald ones with something Sakura couldn't describe. She now realized how close they were - how _very close _they were. How easy it would be to lean up and press her lips against his and claim him as her own. The attraction was almost palpable in the air between the two of them and it almost seemed a crime to not capitalize on their close proximity...

Sakura shook her head, getting herself out of that. _No, you idiot. Don't even think about it. Neji's got a girlfriend. __**Taken **__is what he is! Ugh. You always have to fall for unattainable guys or douchebags. _

She hadn't noticed that his hand had moved to hold a tendril of short carnation hair between his thumb and index finger. "Sakura." He spoke softly, in dulcet tones that made Sakura's belly quiver.

"Yeah?" She asked as she shoved a spoonful of chicken noodle soup down the hatch.

"I was wondering..." Neji said, not tearing his gaze from her face. She automatically looked away, not wanting to gaze too deeply into his eyes and lose her self-control. No. "...did you like posing for me?"

She blinked. "Um..." Deep inhale, "I...yeah. Yeah, I did." No use to lie, she figured.

Neji felt his heart pang powerfully in his chest after she said that. Not even during the throes of passion with Tenten did his heart pound like that, seemingly trying to break free of his chest. "Would you like to do it again?"

"I..."

"Before you answer that...there's a gallery in Paris. They offer support for the finest paintings and the artists featured there go on to do huge things in the world of art. Though...the object of the paintings is rather...primitive. Like you would have to be..." Neji gulped as his mind flashed to an image of Sakura standing in front of him, wearing that silky nightie he bought for her, "..._nude_."

If Sakura thought her face was red before, it was a flaming torch now. She thought her cheeks would spontaneously catch fire. The carnation haired girl broke her vow of not looking at Neji and whipped her head around, meeting his intense ivory orbs with her own confused, innocent ones. Neji started to rattle off some condition...he was basically saying if she didn't feel comfortable, then he wouldn't make her do it. Whatever she was comfortable with. As long as she was happy.

But, as Neji explained in an embarrassed manner about the conditions and everything, Sakura found herself _excited_. She was getting tingly all over. Her hands twisted into the fabric of the blankets around her and the soup sat forgotten on her lap. Her blush was now that of flustered excitement, barely controlled. Her forrest green eyes were widened and her lips parted. She couldn't believe she was actually about to say yes to this. It was something no one could believe she would do, but...in some sick way, she actually _wanted _Neji to see her exposed, naked. Vulnerable.

She wanted him to see her. Though she knew it wouldn't lead to anything, she just wanted him to see...wanted him to be happy. More important of all, she wanted him to be happy. She wanted this painting to launch his career as a renowned artist.

"I'll do it."

Neji looked at her as if she had grown a second head, "A-Are you _serious_?"

"Yeah!" Sakura said in her raspy voice that Neji had found to be quite cute, "I mean...how often would you get to pose for an artist? And...well, if this means so much to your career...I want to help with that. I want to help you with your career as much as I can. If possible."

His heart had taken to doing flip-flops in his chest instead of the frantic beating around. She was going to do it? _She was going to do it! _He didn't remember the last time he felt this kind of elation.

In a motion so swift that Sakura's hair flew behind her as if she were on a motorcycle, Neji crushed her against his chest in an embrace so full of life and happiness that Sakura felt like crying. Tears of joy, of course. Her heart started to skip sporadically in her chest and she was sure Neji could hear it. "Thank you, Sakura." He said in a voice that made the chills race up and down her spine once more. Her skin prickled where his breath touched her neck.

Sakura hugged him back as tightly as she could, savoring this moment, not even thinking about the repercussions of her feelings for this wonderful man...

Neji kept his arms around her just a little too tight, but too tight was not tight enough in his book. He planted a chaste kiss on her cheek and felt the skin warm up even more underneath his lips.

And the two just sat there, in each others' arms, the picture of happiness.

To anyone looking in on their moment, they'd think of a couple in love.

But, as much as the two involved in the moment wanted it to be the truth, they knew it was everything but.

* * *

_**End Chapter Twelve.**_

_Wow! Sorry for the long wait. I hope this chapter is well-received! Haha, I pretty much have everything else planned out for this story. Which is odd (and surprising), because I am the most UNORGANIZED person in existence. Lol. I plan to have this puppy up to twenty chapters. I know, right! That's a whole lot of angstin' NejiSaku goodness, ne? But hopefully, my knowing where this story is going will help me update more often. _

_Anyway, I hope you enjoyed chapter twelve of Sketches! It was a hard one to crank out, since I...well, have been distracted and I can hardly write when I'm distracted. I swear I have attention-issues. _

_So...I hope you review! It would mean a lot to me! Thanks for reading, yo!_


	13. Sketch Me Splendid

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Naruto._

_Thanks for your reviews. They mean a lot, even the criticism. Haha. I'll try to work on the things that some have pointed out. Anyway, here's chapter thirteen of Sketches. Please enjoy!_

* * *

**Sketches  
****Chapter Thirteen: Sketch Me Splendid**

* * *

She sighed.

Sakura didn't really know what to do. She walked from corner to corner, hands on her hips, pink hair flailing behind her as if it were a cloud of cotton candy. Her feet made soft, dull, padding noises as she walked. She ran a hand through her hair before she finally stopped, staring at the phone, willing it to ring.

It didn't.

So Sakura plopped down on the couch and turned on the television. It had been several days since her cold, and she hadn't heard much from Neji ever since he had asked her to pose - nude, mind you - for his latest painting. One that was going to Paris, of all places. She just knew that today was the day she was supposed to go down to his apartment and pose. After she got a call from Neji.

He hadn't called yet.

And it was driving Sakura crazy.

She realized she couldn't sit still, so she moved into the kitchen to fix herself a glass of water. "Come on…" She muttered as she took a swig of the icy liquid.

"Sakura…"

"Hm? Yeah, Ino?"

Ino, who had been away from her apartment more than she had been at it, was standing at her doorway, looking cross and amused all at the same time, "You need to _calm down_, sweetie."

Sakura blinked, feigning innocence, "Calm down? Why, Ino, whatever do you mean?"

Ino laughed as she walked over to the kitchen. She wrapped an arm around her and smiled, saying, "Nude, really? I didn't think you would be so nervous about it."

"Not just that…"

"Oh, right," Ino said, rolling her eyes as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "You like him - "

"Shut up, Ino!"

"Oh, yeah, like everyone in the world can hear me."

Sakura laughed at that. She really did need to chill out. Being nervous wasn't settling well with her stomach, and she knew if she worried long enough it would wreak havoc on her pores. Heaven forbid that would happen! She laughed again and then…

_Ring, ring, ring!_

"See? I told you he'd call."

"No, you didn't!"

Sakura was still laughing as she picked the phone up and said, "Hello?"

"Hey, Sakura."

Her heart fluttered at the sound of his voice immediately, "Hello, Neji." She said with a large grin on her face, while Ino made kissy-kissy noises behind her. "Shut up, pig!" She waved her hand at the blonde, who only laughed and then snorted, _like a pig_, which made Sakura laugh so hard she almost forgot the handsome man on the other end of the phone line.

"Do I need to call back?" Neji asked, starting to chuckle as well.

"N-No, it's…" Sakura couldn't finish because she started laughing again at Ino, who this time had tripped over a rug at the foot of the couch. It took a while, but Sakura finally collected herself, "It's fine."

"Okay, good." Neji said, but with some hesitance, added, "You ready?"

"Yeah. You ready?"

"Of course."

"We sound like we're about to make a drug bust." Sakura chuckled to herself, and Neji joined with her. She was in a surprisingly giddy mood today.

"Alright, I'll be there in a little bit."

"Fine with me." He replied, "See you when you get here."

"Back at cha!"

With that, they both hung up.

* * *

Neji put the phone on the receiver and sighed. It took more out of him to be happy then he thought it would be. In the few days he had not contacted Sakura, he had almost gone crazy. But he had good reason to not contact her. Even thinking about it now, he realized he had done the right thing by not talking to her.

Tenten had found the picture Neji had drawn of Sakura.

They had went through a big fight after that. She had accused him of cheating. He had brought up those strange hickeys that adorned her body. She had looked at him with hurt, caramel eyes and began to cry. The fight dissolved after that. Neji assured her that he hadn't cheated on her at all. He just met the girl at a coffee shop, they had talked a few times, and then he asked her to pose for him. They were good friends. _That was all. _

Tenten believed him, with good reason. Neji was completely truthful with what he told her. He didn't mention today's session, however. This one would be the last straw with Tenten if she found out about it. So he would keep this one as secret as he could, no matter how much guilt he felt for it.

He sighed and came to rest on the chair he had brought out for Sakura to pose on. He felt the heat pool in his stomach and make its way down as he thought about the pink haired beauty simply sitting here…

Neji sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair, that sense of guilt he felt before started to mix itself with a thrill of excitement. She would be here any minute, and Neji could hardly keep still.

He hadn't realized how long he sat there until the doorbell rang and he was jolted out of his reverie. Scurrying out of his seat, he hope to find Sakura at his door, and knew that if he didn't…well, he'd be disappointed. Beyond disappointed, actually.

Neji's hand wrapped around the doorknob and opened it. He grinned brightly when he was met with a pair of cautious, yet excited emerald orbs.

"Sakura." He acknowledged professionally.

"Neji." She playfully replied.

She entered the room, looking around carefully at her surroundings. Nothing had changed much. She looked slightly nervous and Neji reached out and touched her shoulder gently, "Sakura, if you're nervous and don't want to do this…then you don't have to."

"Nah," Sakura shook her head rapidly, causing her pink locks to fly around her face, "I'm okay. I've just never done this before. I want to do this…it's just _new _to me."

Neji nodded understandingly as he led her over to where she'd be posing. It was a rather large, fancy chair. It doubled Sakura's size easily. It was made of plush white fabric with etchings of roses in the material. The pillows were large and plump, and Sakura thought they looked very comfortable. He motioned over to the area and said, "Here's where you're going to be sitting."

Sakura nodded, and she felt a tinge of warmth tickle her stomach and make its way down.

"Now…" Neji continued, "Would you rather strip down in the bathroom? I have a robe in there, if that's okay. I understand if you wouldn't want to - "

"Yeah, that sounds fine," She interrupted, smiling and making her way to the bathroom. Neji was surprised she remembered where it was. She opened the door and shut it gently while Neji sank down into his own wooden chair with an easel placed in front of it.

He ran a hand through his hair as another feeling of excitement raced through him. He felt wrong for feeling that way, but…it was the truth. He was excited to paint her. It didn't even matter if she was nude - though a part of him actually wanted to see that. All that mattered was that he was painting her. It was like the excitement he felt when he first saw her in the restaurant.

He heard the bathroom door open and his heart started to race. Again, he ran a nervous hand through his hair.

He turned and inhaled shakily. She was standing there, looking at him with those irresistible green eyes, those plump lips slightly opened as she took in breaths. The soft white of the robe contrasted beautifully with the pale pink color of her hair. She had left it slightly open at the front, so he could see a bit of the small cleavage she had.

"Uh…" Neji stuttered slightly and then continued, "Okay, just come sit on the chair and I'll tell you what to do."

_Wow, hopefully she didn't noticed that double entendre. _

Sakura said nothing about it, and just moved over to the chair. Standing in front of it, with her back facing him, she undid the sash on the robe and let it slither off her creamy white shoulders. Neji gulped at the exposed planes of skin and felt warmth pooling in his stomach.

Slowly, painfully slowly, she let the robe drop from her shoulders to her waist, each inch of skin appeared in a tantalizingly slow way. And he could feel his arousal starting to react to her body. Finally, she let the robe drop around her ankles and he drank her in, taut limbs, long legs, firm buttocks. He exhaled just as shakily as he had been inhaling and licked his lips.

Sakura turned her head to look at him over her shoulder, her eyes meeting Neji's and the spark between them was palpable. "So…where do you want me to sit?"

"On that chair." Neji said, and then almost slapped himself. _Duh._

Sakura moved towards the chair, her hips swaying attractively. Neji couldn't look away, he found himself drawn to her subtle sexiness in the way she walked. She sat down and turned to face him, her small breasts bouncing slightly. The flat plane of her stomach was flat and somewhat toned, just like her arms and legs. He followed her stomach down to her womanhood…

Neji looked back at his easel, breaths starting to come more forced. He ventured a look back to her and saw the she was looking at him intently, her legs dangling and swinging childishly from the edge of the chair.

"Lay down," Neji directed, and she did so. "so that your legs are hanging off of the arm of the chair." She positioned herself like she was told.

"Put one foot on the arm and bend your leg slightly…yeah, like that." Neji watched as she did was she was told.

In the end of all his directions, she was positioned laying down on the couch, one foot on the couch, bending her leg slightly, while the other hung limply off the side of the arm of the chair. Her body, from her torso up, was turned to face Neji. Her left arm was resting on the back of the chair, curling on the red blanket Neji had thrown over the chair before Sakura had come. Her eyes stared forward at him - he told her to give him a look of innocence and she had complied. Really, without even trying, she was capable of giving him that look of utter innocence and childlike wonder. Her free hand tangled itself in her hair, pink strands weaving between long white fingers. Her lips were slightly parted, and looked irresistibly plump. So much so that Neji wanted to through the absurd easel across the room and jump her.

He felt his pants grow smaller as he imagined that. It was a good thing he wore loose pants, and he knew it. He almost laughed out loud.

"Okay," Neji said, "Now try not to move."

She nodded infinitesimally.

It was a quiet session, only the sound of Neji dipping his paint brush in the many different colors he had prepared and stroking the paper with it gently, carefully.

He got tried to get everything he needed in the picture. He tenderly painted her picture as Sakura watched him intently, amazed at his skill and talent. If just the pencil sketch he had first done of her was that good, then she could only imagine what a full color picture done in his skilled hands would look like.

His eyes drank her in, committing everything about her to memory. Sakura felt the heat grow in her stomach as his eyes washed over her.

Neji took his time, picking out the right colors for her, choosing the correct shad of pink for her hair, the right crème color for her skin. The white for the couch, the red that was a part of the roses on the chair, as well as the blanket that was draped over the back of it. His brow furrowed as he started to outline the features of her lightly with a pencil before taking out the white paint and coating it on his paintbrush.

"Can I ask you something?"

Neji looked over the easel at her body and inhaled deeply, trying to be professional. "Yeah, just try not to move…" He requested politely.

"Are you alright, Neji?" She asked, trying her best not to move anything out of place, "You look…kind of…I dunno. Not yourself."

Neji chuckled, "You're too kind." He stated before he started tracing the curve of her slight breasts. "But…I guess. Well, it's my girlfriend."

"Tenten?" Sakura's heart leapt in her chest with nervousness, "What happened?"

Neji felt like he should tell her, so he did, "She found that picture I drew of you."

The pink haired girl's breath caught in her throat, and she tried to stay relaxed for the painting. Otherwise, her joints would be tensed and coiled so tightly, she would be like a gazelle waiting to spring away from a lion. "Oh." She said, as if indifferent to the situation. A part of her screamed - "Why would she care?! She's cheating on you too! Actually cheating! Not just 'hanging out' and shit like this!" She felt her anger boil, but kept her comments to herself. If she had said anything to Neji about this…

"Yeah, we had a big fight. She threatened to break up with me." Neji admitted, looking back over the easel at Sakura's perfect form.

"Well, that seems awfully hypocritical." She scoffed, her eyes narrowing for a moment before she settled back into the look for the painting.

Neji looked up, eyes widening, but didn't say anything.

_Maybe that would've been for the best. _Sakura thought bitterly. _Her breaking up with him. But not for me, for Neji. He doesn't deserve this…he doesn't deserve her cheating on him like this._

She thought for one brief moment that she should tell him. About everything. Tenten's infidelity, and Sakura's own feelings toward the artist. But, then a smaller part of her consciousness stopped her, stalling her, telling her that it shouldn't be that way. Sakura shouldn't interfere with things. Besides, she'd given him enough hints - she could see the way his eyes widened when she said "brown haired girl" in that tone during there day at the park. And the words she just spat out unintentionally. Maybe he could put the pieces together without Sakura being a total bitch about it.

For a while the only sounds were of the brush stroking the paper, bristles going back and forth across the sheet, dabbling at little spots, the sounds of breathing… It was peaceful, but Sakura couldn't stop her mind from racing, and neither could Neji.

_Hypocritical? What does she mean? _That question repeated itself over and over inside the Hyuuga man's head.

He tried to break the ice again, "So, what are you going to do? I mean, are you going to waitress forever?"

Sakura laughed at this, but saw the playful scorn in his face and stopped before answering, "No. I'm not." She said, the smile all too apparent in her eyes, "I'm actually taking this year off before I start college."

"Oh, really?" He imagined Sakura as a college student. With sexy glasses and a low cut shirt and a pile of books in her hands and a short skirt. He felt the confines of his pants grow tighter, if that were possible.

"Yep," Sakura said brightly, "Headed to med school."

"Locally?"

The pink haired girl smiled at the inflections of Neji's tone, "Yeah. Just thirty minutes from here, actually."

"Ah, that's cool."

Sakura nodded slightly, but then moved her head back into position, while Neji thought of her as a nurse, clipboard in hand, cute little nurse's hat on her head, and a short skirt. It seemed that's all that was on his mind now - Sakura and a short skirt. He groaned involuntarily.

"You okay?" Her plump lips caressed the words and Neji felt his manhood twitch.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine." His eyes grazed across her nude body longer than was necessary and he could see Sakura squirm slightly underneath his gaze. Ivory orbs raked across her form with a hunger that he could feel building in his body, making his lower body ache with need.

His tore his eyes from her body, and could hear Sakura's quickening of breath across the room from him. He wondered idly if his own breaths sounded like that. Was she as aroused by this as he was?

He tried to paint faster, up until this moment, he was taking it slow, relishing the fact that he was around Sakura, but now, with what just happened, he was feeling himself wanting to lose himself in her. Wanting to make love to her, to take her and make her his, right now. The image of him throwing the easel across the room and ravishing her was so strong now, stronger than when he first imaged it, that he was having a hard time containing himself.

He looked up again, over the easel, and drank in her form, eyes greedily taking in every inch of her body as his brush worked in his hand.

The moment seemed like an eternity for Sakura. Every time he would look up at her, she would catch his eyes on purpose, and try to hold them with her own. She succeeded most times, but he would jerk his head down and focus on the painting. She wondered if he was _like this _now too? She could feel the tightness of her body, needing and _wanting _release. And not from just anyone. From _Neji_.

The seconds that passed seemed like minutes, the minutes like hours, and the hours like days. It was an endless dance between the two. To see who would break first, if anyone would at all.

Several long, grueling hours later, Neji stood up from his easel, taking great care to hide his arousal from her. He grinned as he started to imagine horrible things, and to bite the inside of his cheek. Anything to dissipate the aching arousal pressing against his loose shorts. Anything to dissipate the _want _he had for this girl. The desire bit at him like a bug, over and over, waiting for him to break. But he wouldn't. As much as he wanted to, he wouldn't.

Couldn't.

Sakura quirked a brow, her eyes glowing with suppressed desire, even Neji could see that, "What?" There was an edge of hope to her voice, as if she hoped he would kiss her at that moment.

"I'm done."

Blinking, Sakura moved for the first time in what seemed like ages. She cocked her head from side to side, stretching the bunched muscles there. She stretched her arms above her head, and Neji noticed the way her breasts moved as she did so. She moved her legs out in front of her body, pointing her toes and groaning as her limbs cracked from not moving for so long.

She rose from the couch and stood, before bending over timidly to retrieve the bundled up robe from he floor. She put it on as Neji watched. Grinning, she tightened the sash around her waist, keeping the white terry cloth in place, "Can I see?"

Neji smiled at her. Now that she was fully clothed - well, almost - it was somewhat easier to focus. "Sure."

He placed a hand on the small of her back and lead her over to the easel. She walked gently on the hardwood floor, her feet padding softly. Sakura's head peaked around the corner of the easel and she gasped.

On it was a perfect rendering of her - pale pink locks, light colored skin, slight breasts, long legs, the slight curving of her buttocks as it sat against the chair. It was…

"Beautiful." Sakura said in awe. "This is so good." Her voice was a mere whisper, as if it were a crime to speak loudly.

"Thank you," Neji said, not even looking at the painting. His eyes rested solely on her. She was so close. All he had to do was close the distance between them with a kiss…

His nails bit into the palm of his hand. _No, no. You're __**not **__going to do that, Hyuuga. _He thought gruffly to himself.

"You…" Sakura ventured, looking at him. Their eyes met and there was a palpable tension, as well as a spark that connected them, "You're amazing, Neji."

Neji scoffed, "Ha, thanks. You are too. Seriously, not many girls would do this."

"You're my friend," Sakura said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. But even then, the word _friend _didn't seem to accurately describe their relationship, though that was what they were. Nothing more. Sakura had to remind herself that. "Of course I would."

Neji smiled and ran a hand over her pink locks, "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Sakura beamed up at him. And he found that all trace of arousal was gone, replaced by the yearning to just be around her. "Well," She glanced at the clock on the wall, "Oh, are you serious! Seven o'clock!" She jolted into a rigid position.

"What's wrong?"

"I was supposed to help my friend with her wedding plans!" Sakura exclaimed, making her way to the bathroom.

"Wedding?"

"Yeah, I told you before, Ino's getting married to Naruto. I gotta help. Maid of honor here." She said in a joking manner as she shut the door. "Not to mention that she wants everyone to have a date. I don't even know why." He could hear the scuffling around the bathroom as Sakura found her clothes. "It's stupid. I guess she just doesn't want anyone to be alone…"

"I'll be your date."

The door cracked open, and Sakura peaked out, hiding the fact that she was only in her bra and panties, though she had nothing to be shy about, "What?"

"Yeah," Neji said, smiling gently, "I mean, you did this for me. Being your date is the least I can do to repay you."

"Oh, Neji," Sakura groaned slightly, "I don't want you to feel like you have to do this just because I posed nude for you. I _wanted _to do that."

"And who said I didn't _want _to be your date to the wedding?"

She blinked, her heart accelerating in her chest like a racecar driver stomping on the gas pedal. "You do?"

Neji nodded simply.

The door shut and then a few seconds later, she emerged, wearing the clothes she had on when she arrived. A small red handbag was dangling from her thin shoulder. She twisted herself to get a better look at him. "So…"

"So."

"I'll call you? I really have to get going. Ino's gonna be majorly pissed." Sakura said, laughing. "Stupid pig."

"That's fine. Just tell me the date and the time and the place and when to pick you up."

Sakura blushed, looking down for a moment and then moving her eyes to meet his own creamy white ones, "Alright. I'll do that." She headed for the door, when Neji suddenly grasped her wrist. A tingling sensation passed between the two, like an electric current, searing and making its way through their bodies from the point they touched.

"Thank you again." Neji said, his eyes burning holes into her, "You'll never know how much this means to me."

"I can take a wild guess." Sakura smiled, placing her free hand on top of the fist that was enclosed around her wrist. "I'm glad to help."

Neji smiled, and they stood there for a moment, relishing the contact caused by their hands softly touching. It was Sakura who finally broke the silence when she said, "I have to go, Neji. I've had a good time today. It was nice spending time with you."

The brunette Hyuuga stroked her hand with his thumbs, making soothing circles on the flesh. He smiled before they let go of their grip on one another and she walked the last few steps to the door.

"I'll call you." Sakura said, opening the door.

"I'll be waiting." Neji replied smoothly, causing a whole army of butterflies to begin to flutter in the pink haired girl's stomach.

Her slender fingers closed over the doorknob. She opened it and stepped out into the hall, but before she closed it, she could've sworn she heard Neji release a breath he had been holding for a while.

She closed the door behind her and made her way down the stairs, deciding that after being cramped in that chair for so long, she needed to stretch out the kinks and knots in her muscles by a little walking. She had all the way home to walk, too.

Sakura made her way out the front door, past the receptionist in the lobby before checking her phone. As she made her way out of the rotating doors, she looked to see that she had several new voicemails.

She turned onto the street, holding the phone to her ear as the streetlights flickered on above her, and listening to Ino's rant - _"Sakura, where are you! Hello, I need help! Roses or lilies? Chocolate cake or regular? Outside or inside? Help me!"_

Then another one from her beloved blonde friend, _"Haruno Sakura. If you don't come home right now, I swear I'll…Ugh! I don't care if you're getting it on with that hot artist. You stop whatever you're doing and come home!"_

She laughed to herself, expecting a huge ass-chewing when she finally arrived home, and then listened to the last of the voice mails.

What she heard shocked her to the core.

"_Sakura? Hey, this is Tenten. Remember? We met on the street. I need to talk to you. It's important. Call me as soon as you can. Please."_

She felt her fingers loosen from around the electronic device, and she almost dropped it, but caught herself before it fell to the hard concrete of the sidewalk. She looked at the number left by the caller ID. Her heart was beating furiously in her chest and she felt a familiar surge of anger go throughout her. If she planned on telling her to leave Neji alone…she didn't know what she would do.

But she knew it wouldn't be pretty.

Steeling herself, she felt her resolve toughen as she dialed the number of the brunette woman's cell phone.

* * *

_**End Chapter Thirteen.**_

_Well, there ya go! Chapter thirteen is done! It seemed like forever for me to write this. So yeah. I hope everyone enjoyed this! Like, I want everyone to enjoy this story, and even when I get negative reviews…I dunno. It kills the excitement I feel for this fic. But whatever. I'm gonna write what I'm gonna write. People have their opinions and yeah. Hopefully someone liked this! I appreciate all the reviews - even the criticizing ones. _

_So yeah, thank you to everyone who read this new chapter! I hope y'all enjoyed it! Please review!_


	14. Disturbia

_**Disclaimer:** __I don't own Naruto!_

_Alrighty! Here's the next chapter of Sketches! Since I know pretty much exactly where this one is going, I'm going to try to complete it as soon as I can! I'm really excited about it, and all of your reviews and such are so encouraging! I really appreciate everything positive that everyone has said. It's really surreal! Thanks again, and here's chapter fourteen - wow, I can't believe it!_

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* * *

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**Sketches  
****Chapter Fourteen: Disturbia**

* * *

The brunette woman sat at her desk, idly looking at the cell phone beside her elbow with intensity, as if willing it to ring.

It was a strange sensation, waiting for the woman who was most likely having an affair with her boyfriend - er, one of her boyfriends, rather - to call her so she could politely go out to lunch with her. Tenten promised herself she wouldn't lose her temper. She was rather good at that, and besides, Sakura seemed like a nice enough girl, infidelity aside.

And, if she had to admit, Tenten really didn't have a right to be angry with her. Or at Neji, for that matter.

But maybe Sakura didn't read anything into their meeting on the street that one fateful afternoon. Maybe she was just that naïve. Maybe she didn't see her kiss Sasuke…

Uchiha Sasuke, Sakura's _ex-boyfriend. _

The relationship that Tenten had a hand in breaking up. Could this be some sort of revenge ploy? Get back at the brunette bitch for stealing my man by stealing hers? No…Sakura didn't seem that vindictive. At least, from what Tenten had witnessed of the pink haired girl, she thought of her as innocent, sweet.

But she could be totally wrong, as she had been before.

She groaned to herself and leaned back in her chair, propping her feet up on the mahogany wood of her desk.

Did Sakura even get the message she left for her? Maybe she had done something wrong…like misheard the instructions left by the voicemail? No, no, she was positive she had done that right, at least. If she screwed everything else in her life up, she at least knew how to leave a fucking message on a phone.

"Tenten, do you have those papers?" A smooth voice spoke up from next to her.

Ah, nice. "Yeah, here they are." She said, placing the papers into the smooth, pale hands of Sasuke.

He looked at her, his onyx eyes boring holes into her own, chocolate brown ones, "Are you alright?" He asked, his voice lingering with concern. Concern she knew was real, because…well, _she knew him_. No one else knew him like she did, she was certain of that. Not Sakura, not even little Hinata who had foolishly invested herself in him and gotten her heart broken.

"Yeah." She said, smiling softly at him, "I'm fine."

Sasuke smiled gently at her. It was a different smile than that he gave the others, one of genuine and utter happiness, "Good."

She guessed that's where it started. Sasuke was her superior in the office, and there was subtle flirting going on with them for about a year. They went out to lunch with each other at break, and everything. Even when he said he had a girlfriend, she didn't mind. She never expected to become anything more than an innocent friendship until that one night when she had gotten too drunk at that party and Sasuke was at odds with his girlfriend - though she knew that Sakura didn't know they were "at odds" - and then it all culminated into them naked on some random bed. It was unusually trashy of Tenten to do, she would admit, but still…

She inhaled shakily, glancing back at her phone, which had yet to ring.

Tenten started to feel nervous. Why? She wasn't really sure. Maybe it was because that her life was twined with Sakura's in such a bizarre way.

Glancing at the clock, she realized it was almost seven fifteen. Unusually late for her to be at work like this, but she had decided to stay later tonight, since she was expecting a call from Sakura. She didn't want to have Neji overhear it.

Just as she was about to get up and leave, her phone went off.

"_Ring! Ring! Ring!"_

Though she had been waiting for it, the sound still made her jump, the chair she was in rolled back a little on its round wheels. Her chocolate eyes glanced over and saw that "Sakura" was the name displayed on the screen.

She mentally thanked Sasuke for keeping her number. It made it that much easier to get into contact with her, though now that she thought about it, she could've gotten the number from Neji's cell. But, well, that wouldn't have been easy.

She picked up the phone in her slim hands and pressed the "talk" button, "Hello?"

"Hey," It was Sakura alright, she could recognize the childish tone of her voice, "Tenten? This is Sakura. Did you want something? I just got your message…sorry it's so late…"

"Nah, it's fine," She replied casually. Now…how to say this without sounding like stalker girlfriend, "I was wondering, would you like to get together sometime? Say, tomorrow? For lunch."

There was a pause on the other line, as if Sakura had not expected that. Tenten didn't blame her. Hell, she'd be surprised too if she was in Sakura's position.

"Um…" Sakura said, her voice uncertain, "Sure, I don't really have anything else to do, anyway."

Good.

"Okay," Tenten said in her perkiest voice, trying to make Sakura feel at ease. "I'll meet you at…hell, are you free tonight?"

"No, I have to help my friend plan her wedding." Sakura said sheepishly, as if she had forgotten for a moment and then suddenly remembered.

"Alright," Tenten replied, "Well, in that case, meet me tomorrow at around lunch at that new restaurant, Suna?"

"Oh, sure!" Sakura sounded happy now, excited, "I've never been there before and I heard the food is great!"

Tenten couldn't help but smile at the girl's enthusiastic reaction. "Right. I'll meet you there. I'll call early and reserve us a table. That okay?"

"Yes, that's fine!" Sakura chirped.

"Alright, see you then. Thanks for calling me back, by the way."

"No problem." Sakura said in a sincere manner that made Tenten's smile widen.

"Well, I'll talk to you later."

"Okay! Bye."

"Bye."

_Click. _The line went dead. Tenten followed suit and clicked her phone off.

_This should be interesting…_ Tenten thought as she gathered her stuff, ready to head home and see her roommate.

* * *

Suna was _packed_.

Sakura knew the restaurant was a popular new hot spot for young people, but she just didn't know _how _popular until now. There wasn't a line, but when the pink haired girl walked into the impeccably decorated place, her eyes scanned over every table, and saw that there were no empty ones. She felt a wave of defeat cross over her and her shoulders slumped. _Great…_

She walked up to one of the waitresses and smiled brightly. The girl looked snootily at her, realizing that she didn't really come here much. Sakura's eyes took on a hard edge at the girl's reaction, and she asked, "Um, is there a reservation for Haruno Sakura and a…" She raked her mind for Tenten's last name, but couldn't remember it, "Tenten?"

The girl haughtily turned her head - Sakura made a mental note to not give this bitch a tip if she was the one who waited on them - and checked the notebook that was seated on a podium. "Oh, yes." She said, realization coming into her eyes as she found the name on the sheet, "Here, let me show you to the table."

Sakura smirked bitterly. Oh, now that she was sure she was a customer she was nice to her. Heh.

The woman brought her to a table - a rather nice one. It was a booth seated deeply into the wall, the table jutted out from the side of the deep red of the painted walls. The table itself looked to be made of rich oak. The traces of the rings in the tree trunk could be seen in the wood. Plush, cream colored cushions were on the seats, which were made of the same wood.

Tenten was sitting on the left, her face buried into the menu. Her hands were twined together beneath her chin which was resting on them. Chocolate eyes looked thoughtfully at the objects on the menu in front of her.

"Hey," Sakura said, lowering herself onto the chair in front of her. She slid her purse from her shoulder and let it fall to the soft cushions. Tenten looked up and gave her a polite smile, one that immediately made the pink haired girl feel uneasy. "I made it."

"I see that." Tenten observed, her eyes sardonic, "But you look a bit annoyed."

"Eh, the waitresses here treat me like I'm some kind of bum who doesn't belong."

"Same here." Tenten ghosted a smile, "That's how they are. If you don't look like you've just been on a shopping raid at Dolce or Versace, then, well, you don't belong."

Sakura laughed at her banter, "Is this expensive?"

"Not really, surprisingly. There's just an air of pretension, as you can see."

"Obviously." Sakura chuckled, and the brunette joined in. Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as Sakura thought. She had been stressing about this moment as soon as she had hung up with the brown haired beauty last night. She really had no idea what to expect. But now, maybe the atmosphere would be light, happy.

Maybe she was just delusional.

"Would you ladies like some drinks?" A voice chirped. It wasn't the same woman as before, thank goodness. This woman looked bright eyed and new at her job, ready to get some money and do…well, whatever she wanted.

"Yeah," They said in unison. The woman started naming off drinks like they would go out of style. Sakura finally stopped her and said she'd have a lemonade, while Tenten just got water. The girl nodded, and, thankfully, they were alone again.

Tenten looked at Sakura, who had just opened her menu and was scanning the objects in it, when she spoke, "So."

Sakura looked up, her green eyes were brilliantly stunning, and Tenten felt a slight hint of jealousy at their beauty. She pushed it to the side - _No reason to feel like that, Tenten. _She told herself.

"So." Sakura repeated in a lighter voice, unsure of what the brunette girl wanted.

The girl came back with their drinks and smiled, "Are you ready to order?"

Tenten glared at the girl. She was beginning to grate on her nerves. At this rate, she'd never get around to telling Sakura what she needed to. "Yeah. You ready, Sakura?"

"Oh," Sakura said, scanning the menu again, before she smiled. "Yeah!"

Sakura said the name of some kind of pasta, while Tenten ordered a bowl of soup. The girl scribbled it down, and smiled, nodding as she left.

"Wow." Tenten said dryly, "Talk about fresh meat."

Sakura laughed, almost forgetting the fact that Tenten was Neji's girlfriend. But, then it came, front and center, and smacked her in the forehead. No, she could never forget that of all things. But Tenten was making it easier to overlook with her sarcastic commentary and all.

The pink haired girl leaned back and sighed contently as her back made contact with the soft caress of the cushions. Tenten gave her a look before she smiled. It seemed forced to Sakura, but then again, what did she know?

"I…guess you're wondering why I asked you to come here." Tenten ventured, nursing her water.

Sakura looked at her curiously, "Yeah, actually. It was kind of a shock to hear your voicemail." She laughed, remembering those irate ones from her roommate, then the calm one from the girl sitting in front of her right now. The messages were stark in contrast for one another, but that still didn't take away the bizarreness of this situation.

"Lots of things have been shocking lately, ne?" Tenten said, her voice deep with an inflection that the carnation haired girl couldn't quite pinpoint.

"I…suppose."

"I mean, us meeting on the street? Now that wasn't expected."

Sakura shook her head from side to side, "Yeah." She gave a bark of a laugh and then smiled, "That was…_surprising_." _And something I'd rather not have happen again, but I digress… _She thought.

"I also didn't expect to see a picture of you, half-naked, in my apartment, drawn by _my boyfriend_."

Sakura felt her heart stop in her chest. "Uh…what?"

"You know what I'm talking about." Tenten said, her chocolate eyes intense with emotion. "I saw that picture. Neji said he wasn't cheating on me, and I believed him. But, I really don't know - "

"Wait." Sakura interrupted. "What are you trying to get at?"

She felt her temper start to bubble and boil. The blood was rushing hot and fast through her veins. The fact that Tenten had just started _accusing _her of being _the other woman _to Neji was not sitting well with her. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion as she gave the brown haired woman a look that would make the paint peel off the walls if it were possible.

"I'm telling you to stay away from my boyfriend."

Oh no. No, she didn't.

It was quiet for a moment while Sakura tried to collect herself. The perky, annoying young waitress came back with their food and sat in down in front of the respective person who ordered it. She waited until the girl was out of sight before she addressed her again.

"What the _hell _are you _talking _about?" Sakura snarled, not even attempting at the polite bravado she held the time they met on the street. Not even trying to return to the wonder she felt when she called her up yesterday. Now she was just plain mad. _Pissed_, actually.

"I don't want you with my boyfriend." Tenten replied slowly, as if Sakura had some kind of problem.

"Oh, I know you aren't giving me this shit."

Tenten looked taken aback, as if she hadn't expected this reaction. As if she expected Sakura to curl up and back down when presented with this. Well, she was in for a rude awakening.

"You, a girl who is _cheating_ on her boyfriend, are telling _me _to stay away from said boyfriend."

Tenten just stared at her in shock.

"Are you _serious_ with this shit?" Sakura said, her voice now a deep growling sound. "You have no right, you hypocrite!"

The brown eyes of the bun haired girl widened, "Listen…"

"No. You listen. I saw you with Sasuke. You were _kissing _him that day we _stumbled _upon each other on the street. I _saw_ you. So don't give me this crap about wanting me to stay away from him. _We are friends_. Neji told you the truth about that." Sakura said, and the conviction in her voice was so strong that Tenten couldn't doubt it, "Yeah, he has drawn me. I admit that. Yeah, we have hung out and stuff. We are actually pretty good friends now, and you are telling me to stay away from him when you are cheating on him with _Sasuke_?"

Tenten was silent, unsure about what to say next. She just looked at him with a contemplative gaze, her temper flaring only slightly underneath it all. Sakura did have a point, she hated to admit. But, still, that didn't stop her from getting angry about her words.

"Don't shout at me." Tenten said, her eyes narrowing.

"I'm not," Sakura said, narrowing her own eyes in accordance to the woman across from her. She took a forkful of pasta and swirled it around, "I wasn't yelling. I was just setting things straight. Giving you my opinion because, clearly, you aren't afraid to give yours, no matter how ludicrous it may be."

Tenten started at her as if she had been insulted. Inhaling a shaky breath, her eyes lifted from gazing at Sakura's plate and met her eyes, which were downcast and studying her food as if it were something that held vital information. "Can I talk now?"

"Sure. You don't have to _ask_." She gave a rueful laugh as she shoved some of her pasta into her mouth. "I kinda just took over there, but yeah…when I get mad, sometimes I get carried away…"

"That…what I said," Tenten started, as she sipped a spoonful of her soup. "It was…I guess my jealousy talking. And my possessiveness. I know I shouldn't be so uptight if Neji was cheating on me, because…" She winced as if the next words she said were particularly painful, "Because I am cheating on him."

Sakura scoffed into her pasta while Tenten continued. "But I guess its just my being selfish. Wanting to 'have my cake and eat it too,' I guess you could say."

The pink haired girl laughed at that, and the girl across from her smiled, happy to lighten the atmosphere a bit. She looked as if she didn't know what else to say, so she just ate another spoonful of soup and looked down at the steaming liquid.

"Um," Sakura interrupted, "I just want to say something…why put them through this? I mean, if you are truly in love with Neji, why be with Sasuke? Or if you are in love with Sasuke, why drag Neji along with it?" She tried to make her point valid, "I just don't see why…I mean, maybe its because I'm not in your shoes and all, but…"

Tenten held up a hand, signaling Sakura that she was about to talk. Sakura stopped politely, thinking it was the least she could do in favor of the ass-chewing she gave to her just a few minutes ago. She was surprised that Tenten hadn't up and left as a result, but she was also glad. This meant she would finally get answers - answers that she had been wanting for the longest time.

"It's…complicated." Tenten said, and Sakura opened her mouth to protest, but she stopped her. "The time with Sasuke, at first, was just a thing. A…" She blushed, "…_sexual_ thing. But it grew out of proportion, and…I realized that I love him. I love Neji, too. We've been together for a while. Hell, we live together. We were going to get married one day, but…I suddenly didn't want to. I think part of it was because of Sasuke, of my growing feelings for him, but another part…" She trailed off, giving Sakura her opening.

"I don't see that." Sakura murmured, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion. Tenten looked at her questioningly and quirked a perfectly sculpted brow. "I mean, not to doubt your story, but…I just don't see how you can be in love with two people at the same time. I always thought that when you were in love with someone, then you couldn't love - romantically love - anyone else but that one person. Well, I mean, maybe you're different than I am in that respect, but…when I loved Sasuke, I only loved Sasuke. No one else." Sakura's voice dropped vulnerably as Tenten studied her with soft eyes.

"I'm sorry…"

"No, don't feel sorry. I don't need that." Sakura said fiercely, jamming the noodles on her plate with her fork, "I don't."

"Alright," Tenten said. In a way, she knew what she was talking about. She knew that her own heart was leaning more toward the stoic Uchiha than the artistic Hyuuga. She knew it, but a part of her was afraid to make the leap to monogamy with Sasuke, who had cheated on every girl he dated - with _herself_, she admitted, but still. "Yeah. I get what you're saying, Sakura."

Sakura smiled gently, "Thanks."

"I…" Tenten started softly, her eyes meeting Sakura's. Green and brown locked together. "I just need some time to think." She said, giving her a smile, "I…want to make the right choice." She said, moving a hand to her stomach reflexively. Sakura caught the movement with wide eyes. Tenten stiffened, knowing that the emerald eyed girl caught what she was portraying with her movements. Her eyes widened and she saw the Haruno girl take in a deep inhalation of breath as she studied her noticeably round stomach from underneath the thin cloth of her shirt.

"Tenten…are you - ?"

The brunette silenced her with a sharp look, her eyes both pleading and fierce with their protectiveness. That look gave Sakura the answer she was looking for, as well as made her own stomach churn with nausea. "Yeah, I'm…_pregnant_."

Her heart stopped in her chest. Just when she thought things couldn't get more complicated, they did. It was as if she was in her own teen soap opera, in some pathetic way. "Do you know…"

"Yeah." Tenten said, knowing what was coming next, "And I don't know how to tell him."

"Neji will understand, Tenten." Sakura said, reaching out over the table and clasping the brown haired girl's hand with her own. She rubbed her thumb in soothing circles over the plane of her skin, "I'm sure he'll be very happy about it."

"No, he won't." The brown eyed girl replied, as if she were completely certain Neji would be everything _but _happy when she told her boyfriend about her situation, "I'm sure he won't."

"But, if Neji's the father - " Sakura started, but cut herself off, "Isn't he the father?"

Tenten shook her head slowly, certainly. "I have always used protection with Neji. Sasuke, on the other hand…"

Emerald eyes widened. "Are you…serious?"

"Like a heart attack." Tenten said with a bitter smile, mocking herself, "I'm not better than those girls on Jerry Springer."

"Don't say that!" Sakura said, reassuringly, "No, you're not like that. Sure, you've made mistakes, but we all do. Everyone makes mistakes. We just have to learn to deal with them, ya know? So, Tenten, you're not stupid. You just…had a misstep."

Tenten laughed. "Ya know, if we were in any other situation, I think we could become friends."

A carnation brow quirked in response before Sakura beamed and said, "Yeah, I think so, too."

It was quiet for a bit after that, the two deciding to eat in silence while Sakura's mind was filled with thoughts. Tenten was pregnant. With Sasuke's baby! Neji would have to learn about it sooner or later. And then what would happen? Would they break up? Would Neji love her too much to care about whose baby it was? But if it was any indication, Tenten was completely in love with Sasuke. Sakura could tell. She knew that look that was on her face. That glowing, all-consuming look of happiness that defined love. It surrounded her, making Sakura feel strange to be around her.

"I'm going to tell him." Tenten spoke up after a while. She had finished her soup and was moving on to some breadsticks, nibbling tentatively on the ends and swallowing daintily. It seemed an odd gesture for someone who was with child, but Sakura digressed and decided not to pursue that. "Neji, that is. And Sasuke, since it's his. Unless you've already told Neji about my…infidelity."

Sakura blinked, her heart skipping. "No, I haven't. I didn't think it was my place. I thought if you wanted to tell him, then you would."

"I appreciate it." Tenten replied, "More than you know."

Sakura smiled at her, her stomach doing somersaults, feeling like she was on a roller coaster when it was at the top. It was strange that everything was going so out of control. So…topsy turvy that it made her want to fall down and take a nap, but also jump around in excitement at the same time. Excitement at what, she couldn't be sure.

Sakura chewed on a breadstick that had come with her pasta, savoring the garlic taste of it, and then grasped her lemonade with one hand swallowed some of the liquid. She sighed and looked at Tenten, who was gazing at her with a questioning look.

"You said you only love one person, Sakura. Well, that you can only love one person at a time. Is there anyone now? Is there anyone who you love in that way _now_?"

Her breath caught in her throat at Tenten's question. She totally wasn't expecting that of all things. She inhaled several times, trying to pull herself together. The image of Neji's ivory eyes flashed in front of her vision. His smile, his lips, his body. She could hear the sound of his voice in her ears, as well as his infectious laugh. She could almost feel him next to her right at that moment.

Emerald eyes stared at the brunette for the longest time, uncomprehending, unseeing, but Tenten wasn't stupid. She wasn't stupid at all.

"Neji and I," Tenten started, her voice faint and reflective, "We were together. We were in love. But, now that I think about…now that I think about what you have just said. About loving one person, and all that jazz…I just think I'm in love with the idea that Neji is. Stability. A place to come when I get home. Just…" She trailed off, scoffing lightly, "…a safe harbor."

Sakura stopped. What was she saying? That she wasn't in love with Neji? What was she talking about?

"It might take me a while, but…I'm going to end it with Neji." She said, her voice soft and sad, "Maybe a day or two…hell, it could be a week or two. But I am going to tell him." Her hand ghosted down to her stomach, cradling what little lump there was, "Just give me time."

"Why are you…" Sakura started, uncertain, "Take as long as you want. I mean, it's none of my business anyway."

"Yes, it is." Tenten said, rising from her seat, her hands steadying herself warily. Sakura rose from her seat to help her, a reflex from being around various people in her condition, even when they didn't need the help. Sakura stood next to the brunette girl and looked at her, cheeks red.

"Yes, it is your business," Tenten said, placing a comforting hand on the pink haired girl's shoulder. "Since you're in love with Neji."

Her heart stopped in her chest. Tenten left the money for her half of the bill, while saying, "I'm glad you took the time out to meet with me. We should do this again…when things aren't so _muddled_."

"Y-Yeah…"

With that, Tenten turned with a smile and headed for the door, leaving a stunned Haruno Sakura behind with her thoughts.

* * *

_**End Chapter Fourteen.**_

_Well, there you go! The big confrontation! I hope y'all enjoyed this! I know it was a fun thing to write, so I hope everyone will read and review with your comments! _

_Thank you so much for all your support and it means so much that y'all have been with me up until this chapter - fourteen, oh wow! Lol._

_Thanks again for reading, and please review! I'll try to get the next chapter up soon!_


	15. Loneliness, Mine and Yours

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Naruto!_

_Alright! Here's the latest chapter of Sketches. I'm glad that most everyone liked last chapter. And if you didn't, maybe you'll like this one!_

_Anyway, here's the next chapter! Hope y'all enjoy!_

* * *

**Sketches  
****Chapter Fifteen: Loneliness, Mine and Yours**

* * *

Her feet seemed to move independently of her mind, of her will. She tentatively walked forward, feet skimming the surface of the ground, almost as if they didn't really touch it. He mind was swimming with all the information that had been passed on to her in the restaurant.

Tenten…_pregnant_? With _Neji's _child?

No, no, _not Neji_. Sakura had to keep telling herself. It was _Sasuke's_, Tenten herself had said. The pink haired girl could only hope that now the truth would come out, and the Hyuuga would be freed from the web of lies Tenten had entangled him in. It would just depend on _when _she told him, and if Sakura herself could keep her damn mouth shut until that time.

As she walked down the sidewalk lazily, she got to thinking about everything. Sakura was confused, as well as downright saddened by the fact that someone as nice a guy as Neji got cheated on by the girlfriend he loved.

_Loved_. Yes, he loved her. She knew that much. If he didn't, why would he have been with her this long?

Sakura sighed and ran a hand through her cotton candy colored locks as a breeze picked up and played with them. She groaned as her head gave a painful throb, the beginnings of a headache if she had ever felt them. She would definitely need to take some pills when she got home. Maybe some sleeping agents to help her sleep, for she knew after this unloading of drama onto her shoulders would make her unable to sleep for as long as this kept up.

She turned a corner and was met with a pair of ivory eyes and a long cloak of bluish-raven locks. Hyuuga Hinata.

"Sakura?" The young woman asked, waving a dainty hand in the air, "Hey!"

The pink haired girl immediately smiled, looking at the girl approaching her. They walked toward each other and closed the distance before finally speaking.

"Hey, Hinata. How's it going?"

The pretty young woman smiled and said, "Great, actually. What about you?"

_Confusing, terrible…so much drama I feel like my head is going to explode… _Instead of voicing her thoughts, Sakura settled for saying, "Pretty good." Suddenly a thought occurred to her, "Uh…you doing some shopping or something?" She looked around at the various outlet stores around them, and saw that Hinata carried a few bags in her slender hands.

Hinata laughed, as if Sakura had just touched upon some private joke, "Yes…and, well, you should know why I'm going shopping."

Sakura quirked a perfectly sculpted eyebrow and cocked her head to the side, doing a perfect imitation of a confused puppy. "What do you - "

"Hinata!" A very familiar, husky voice, sounding out of breath, called from behind the ivory eyed girl.

The very voice made Sakura's heart jump and twist in her chest.

_N-Neji…_

She didn't think she'd have to see him so soon - especially not after she had just had a very revealing conversation with his girlfriend. Her heart started to stutter sporadically in her chest as she remembered Tenten's words as soon as she left her at the restaurant.

"_Yes, it is your business, since you're in love with Neji."_

Her heart lurched painfully in her chest, as if trying to free itself from the bony cage that protected it.

Yes, that was when Neji rounded the corner, his brunette locks messy and flowing around his face, and Sakura knew she had never seen anything more beautiful at that moment. The light eyes, the dark hair, the sinewy muscles underneath the soft skin…

His eyes seemed to widen when they came into contact with her own emerald depths. Sakura felt her heart stop when a lazily gleeful smile spread across his features. "Oh, Sakura, hello."

And that voice, saying her name ever-so casually, made her heart skip several beats and then pick up again, full force, pounding so much that she could feel her blood flowing, hot and fast, through her veins.

She could only contemplate Tenten's words in the safe confines of her head.

"…_you're in love with Neji."_

At the moment, she was confused. Why would Tenten think that? As she thought about it, it kind of annoyed her as well. Why would Tenten just _assume _she was in love with Neji? Then…she kind of came to terms with it. The statement had been playing on repeat in her head for the longest time, ever since she left the restaurant.

"Hey…you okay?" Neji's voice was pure concern in her ears, and Sakura realized she had been spacing out for the past few minutes.

"Yeah…I'm fine. No worries." Sakura laughed, but the gesture didn't reach her eyes. Neji found that odd - he didn't like it, the way her eyes were troubled and stormy, as if she was thinking of something intensely troubling.

_Did _she love Neji?

Sakura bit her plump lower lip as the question ran a circuit around her brain, over and over, like some sick carousel.

Hinata was the one to interrupt her inner musings. "Sakura, we were shopping. For Ino's wedding. You know, the one you asked Neji to accompany you to?"

Blinking, Sakura's eyes took on a realizing look, realizing what the Hyuuga girl had meant by her words before, "Oh, really?"

"Yeah," Neji spoke up, the deep baritone of his voice causing shivers to run up and down her arms, "I realized I didn't have a suit. And, well, I need one to go to a wedding, right?"

Sakura laughed at Neji's face, uncomfortable and awkward as he gazed at the bags Hinata held in her hands, "You'd be right."

"So, I asked Hinata to accompany me." Neji continued, "I figured it would be a good way for us to catch up. Since it's been a while."

"And because he needed a woman's perspective." Hinata chided, smiling kindly.

"That too."

Sakura laughed at the playful banter between the two Hyuugas.

"So what brings you out here?" Neji asked innocently, his eyes widening slightly with the question.

"Oh, nothing. Just headed to eat lunch." _Oh, way to lie, Haruno._

"Really?" Hinata's eyes brightened, looking almost identical to Neji's, except an infinitesimal bit larger and more feminine, "We were just headed to eat as well. Would you like to join us?"

_You already ate, dumbass! _"Sure. Why not. Is it not a problem?"

"No. It never is." Neji looked at her and the intensity of his gaze made her feel like she was about to become a puddle on the ground before his feet. Her heart jumped and leaped as if it had a life of its own, as if she had no control over it - which, she didn't, she realized.

"Alright. Where to?"

"We were headed to that new place…the sandwich shop. Not sure of the name." Neji said, his eyes never wavering from the emerald depths of the Haruno girl before him.

"That's fine with me." Sakura said, smiling. _At least it's not from the place you just came from. That would no doubt be an awkward thing to explain to the waiters._

"Then we have a date!" Hinata chimed innocently, and Sakura found herself enviable of it. The fact that she had really no problems right now - or at least, she didn't look like she had any kind of problems. Only the fact that Sasuke had cheated on her had been her most recent, and she looked to be completely over it now. But that probably didn't erase the hurt she felt at the time. At least she was beginning to get over it. She saw that Hinata looked a hell of a lot better than Sakura did when she let herself go from the cheating Uchiha.

Neji grinned over at his cousin, a light, kind smile, but she could feel the slight protectiveness radiating from his strong form. It made Sakura herself smile at the gesture of it. Despite supposedly "not spending much time together," Neji played the role of protective relative rather well. It also attracted her to him even more.

The trio of friends walked in the direction of the sandwich shop, Hinata walking ahead of both Neji and Sakura, who trailed behind her.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Neji asked the carnation haired beauty. His ivory eyes were focused on her pretty features, and she felt her heart lurch once more in response to his concerns.

"I swear I'm fine, Neji." Sakura said, and a part of her felt flattered that he cared that much to ask her if she was okay not once, but twice in the span of about fifteen minutes.

"You know you can tell me if something's wrong."

At those words a genuine, Naruto-esque smile spread across her mouth and she laughed, "I know."

She couldn't seem to stop grinning, and that made the Hyuuga artist smile as well.

They arrived shortly at the sandwich place. It was a quant little shop with a café-type feel to it. Sakura smelled coffee and bread as she entered the place, and it caused a wave of nostalgia to overcome her, though she didn't know why. She just guessed some places had that effect on people.

Sakura followed Hinata and Neji, who were walking after a waitress that showed them to their table, which was a booth at the edge of the room, right by some scenic windows and underneath a gorgeous hanging light. The waitress was a pretty thing, with dark red hair and dark rimmed glasses. She looked at Neji suggestively before her eyes moved to Hinata and Sakura. Her eyes got an air of disappointment around them before she asked for their drink orders. They each got water, and the red haired girl said she would be back in a minute with their orders.

"Wow, talk about staring you down, ne?" Hinata voiced, her eyes meeting her cousin's.

Neji quirked a brow, "What?"

"Red seemed interested," Sakura piped up suggestively, her eyebrows waggling in a manner that Naruto had used on her plenty a time. Maybe joking around would let her settle down. Maybe it would make her not be as nervous. Maybe she would start to forget what Tenten had said if she would just…

No, the words were still there, ever-present inside her head, making the circuit once more, without anything to stop them.

She groaned all of a sudden, pressing the sides of her head with the pads of her fingers, as if that would somehow quell the incessant throbbing.

A warm, strong hand encased itself around her wrist, pulling it away from her head with a slow movement. The fingers were familiar, and Sakura opened her eyes to be met with the brilliant ivory gaze of the Hyuuga man that was the cause of all of her problems at the moment.

"_Sakura_." Neji said, the tone of it was pleading. So much was said in that one word, that one inflection on her name, that Sakura felt her heart expanding and contracting painfully. It made the distance between them seem even deeper than it was originally, even more bleak and dark and without hope that they would ever have peace…

Hinata looked on from her seated position beside Neji in the booth they were seated at. Her eyes were curious, yet she knew what was happening here. No matter what Neji said about being in love with Tenten, this was something completely different. The way Neji talked about his girlfriend seemed rehearsed, as if it was something he had said a thousand times before.

"_My girlfriend? Oh, yeah, Tenten is doing good. Got a promotion the other day."_

She remembered his voice, how it was there, and yet _not _there at the same time. It puzzled her at the same time as it intrigued her. She was curious as to why his voice was like that, why he would treat Tenten's name with such…_contempt_, as if he really wanted to be talking about something else… She also wondered if his Tenten was the same Tenten that Sasuke had cheated on her with…but that wasn't the problem right now. She didn't want to ask about it anyway, in case he had already known.

When asked about Sakura, however, it was a different story.

His eyes would light up, glowing, and making the depths of them shine like moonlight on a crystal clear lake. Hinata was surprised by the change, but also felt some joy at it. It seemed that something was changing in her cousin. Didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that this pink haired girl was changing him, for the better.

She figured the change started when he announced that he would follow his dream and become an artist. Then he met Tenten, and she helped him along with the transformation. The two fell in love, that was obvious, and then…Hinata figured something happened. Doubt or some other emotion clouded the relationship, making it not the same as it used to be. And then…

"_Sakura's great. She is a really kind girl…and…I'm glad to help her however I can."_

Those words nearly brought tears to Hinata's eyes. The sincerity and utter _longing _that was held in those simple, compassionate words was enough to make her eyes sting with unshed tears. She had to blink them back before Neji got suspicious and called her weak. Wouldn't be the first time. But they were in a better relationship now, and Hinata was incredibly glad for it. Somehow, though, she thought he wouldn't do that. He seemed to have changed so much since they were kids in the sandbox.

"_You care about her that much?" _

"_Of __**course**__."_

The inflection on the last word was the clincher on that conversation. Neji felt _something _for the carnation haired girl, Hinata now knew. She had a hunch at the beginning but now it was abundantly clear that the two had feelings for each other. Her eyes focused on the scene happening in front of her and she felt a flutter in her heart for the two.

Neji was staring at Sakura with the utmost care in his eyes. His ivory orbs were shining, just like when he was talking about her earlier. A blush coated the carnation haired girl's cheeks and she tried to escape his gaze, but Hinata could tell that it was futile, for Sakura ended up staring into his eyes with her own brilliant, emerald gaze.

She felt as if she were intruding on a private moment. An intimate moment, almost as if she had walked in on them in a moment of passion. The gazes that they were shooting each other were soft, kind, and it make Hinata see the true loneliness that lingered there.

Neji, she already knew, was in a loveless relationship. Sure, there was love there before, but recently, it died down with the emergence of his feelings for Sakura, but as well as a lack of trust in Tenten on his part. There had been too many strange occurrences lately that had caused his distrust. Neji told Hinata this in utmost confidence, so she couldn't bring it up to anyone else. Not even the stunningly beautiful girl across from her.

Sakura…was just head over heels. Anyone with a brain could tell that. Maybe not Neji, and maybe not even herself, but anyone who looked at the two right now could tell that there was _something _there. She might not believe it herself, but there definitely was something in the way that she looked at Neji. Something in the way her cheeks flushed whenever he would talk to her. Something in the way that when he touched her, she almost flinched away, as if scared to feel something more than what was acceptable.

As Hinata looked at the two, she felt quite…_sad_.

The distance between them was just a table's length away, and Neji's hand was clasped around Sakura's wrist. They were touching, but in Hinata's eyes they couldn't have seemed farther away. The distance in their eyes was all encompassing, as if they were looking out across a mass of ocean, something that they had to cross to get to what they wanted.

They couldn't reach it. Not yet.

They couldn't reach what they wanted the most.

Each other.

This time, Hinata felt her eyes tear up and she knew she couldn't just dismiss it with a simple blink. She rose from her seat, glad to be on the outside rather than the inside where Neji was seated next to the wall, and excused herself, teary eyed, and winced visibly when her voice cracked with emotion.

Sakura looked with concern, "Are you okay?" Her voice was confused, as if she couldn't figure out why Hinata was so upset. The look on her face tugged at the navy haired girl as well, and she tried not to burst into ragged, desperate sobs right there. Neji had released Sakura's hand, but their fingers were still close enough to touch each other.

_Anything to have the feel of the other on them… _Hinata thought in a heartbroken way.

"I-I'm fin…fine." There her stutter goes again. She had worked so hard to get that under control and here it was, rearing its ugly head, just like every time when she was upset or nervous. Her eyes were watery, glistening with unshed tears.

"Hinata…" Neji spoke up, his deep husky voice like a blanket, trying to soothe her.

"J-Just…need to-to go…b-bath…room. S-_Sorry_!"

With that, Hinata turned on a heel to head to the bathroom just as the tears overwhelmed her.

Sakura stared at her retreating form, looking at her with a gaze that could only be described as confused. She had no idea what had caused Hinata to act so strangely. She looked at Neji, as if he had an answer, but no dice. He shrugged and reached out to grab her hand. The contact made Sakura gasp. It was so tender, something reserved for someone in an intimate relationship, not for someone that had such a convoluted relationship with him as she did.

It was suffocating to be there, this close, with so much tension in the air. Even in such a quaint little sandwich shop, there was so much anxiety welling up that she felt the urge to run away, tears falling from her eyes, just as Hinata had done not even a minute ago.

She excused herself, "I'll go check on her."

She pulled her hand away from his grasp, and walked away from him. His eyes were trained solely on her retreating form, appreciating her slight curves and long legs, coupled with the carnation hair on her head. He looked down at his hand, as if he had been burned when she pulled away. The heat from her hand on his was enough to make him crazy; he didn't want to know what it would be like if they were closer together. He didn't think he would be able to control himself around her much longer.

He leaned forward, propped his elbows up on the table, and buried his face in his hands to hide his despair.

* * *

Sakura walked into the bathroom, finding that Hinata was the only one in there, washing her hands and looking into the mirror at her now puffy, red eyes, swollen from crying. She had seemed to have collected herself since she left them at the table, but the sadness on her face was undeniable.

Immediately, Hinata averted her eyes and focused on the soap that was bubbling in the sink in front of her. She washed her hands even more furiously than before, as if that would make everything alright.

Sakura looked at her with care in her big green eyes.

"Hinata," She said calmly, gazing at the navy haired Hyuuga in concern, "what's the matter? If it's about Sasuke…"

Hinata murmured something inaudible.

"What? I didn't hear you…"

"It's _not Sasuke_." She said, her voice vibrating with her conviction, her eyes set and determined, the nervous stutter long gone from her.

No, it was anything _but _the arrogant Uchiha.

"Then what is it? Me and Neji were worried."

"I…" She pulled her plump lower lip into her mouth and bit down.

"You can tell me, Hinata." Sakura approached her carefully, as if afraid she would run away if she made any sudden movements. Right now, Hinata reminded her of a skittish deer, frightened and jumpy over something that Sakura had no idea about.

"You and N…"

"Me and Neji?" Sakura was still confused, "What about us?"

"Do you…" She started off quietly, looking at her hands as the water rinsed off any remaindering bubbles. "Do you _see _how much he cares about you?"

Sakura almost took a significant step back. Those words were like a mental slap in the face. She was unprepared for Hinata's line of thought, and immediately she was on guard for whatever was coming her way. "What are you…"

"_What am I talking about_?" She said, her voice emotional and fierce, predicting Sakura's exact question. This was a side of the Hyuuga girl that she had never seen before, and Sakura wasn't sure where this was going. "Can't you _see_? Are you that _blind_?"

The pink haired girl's eyebrows knitted together in a mixture of confusion and frustration as she allowed Hinata to continue. It was a strange thing, coming out of someone so sweet and innocent, but Sakura assumed everyone had their breaking points. She just wasn't sure what had caused Hinata's so suddenly, seemingly without warning.

"You two…" Hinata said, her eyes downcast and sad, looking down at her pale hands, dripping with cold water. "You two care about each other so much. It's…so _heartbreaking_ to watch."

"How…I don't understand."

"When Neji's around…" Hinata said, her voice shaking and yet calm at the same time, "all you see is him. I've noticed that…and I'm sure others have too. If people didn't know any better, they'd think that you were a happy couple. _Together_. Like that. Don't look surprised. You know that you like him…maybe even _love_. I wouldn't be surprised. It just…_hurts _me that you two can't be together like you need to be."

Sakura just stood there, taking in Hinata's outburst with a thudding heart, with a wheeling mind.

"…_maybe even __**love**__." _

The words started running a circuit in her head, just like Tenten's had not even an hour earlier.

"I want to see him happy, and when I see you with him, he is happy. Utterly _happy _with no strings attached and pulling him in directions he doesn't want to go. He talks about you, and his whole face lights up. He becomes a different man. I have never seen him like that before. _Ever_."

Tears started running down her cheeks at the sake of the two people who were _so far away _from each other, but _so close _at the same time. She looked like she was embarrassed for crying yet again, so she turned away and wiped the furiously away with the sleeve of her pullover.

"I might…I mean, we might not have been in touch for so long, but…I can see the change in him. Even his girlfriend hasn't brought that out in him. _You _have."

Sakura walked forward and put a gentle, calming hand on her shoulder, as if expressing thanks. Her eyes, for such a young girl, seemed so old and tired. Ancient. As if she had thought everything through and it was better for them not to be together. Hinata hoped she wouldn't voice that. That would truly shatter her already fragile state of self.

"It's okay. Hinata, it's okay." Sakura said, feeling her eyes start to moisten as well. "I'm actually kind of flattered. Funny how I've been wanting to cry all day and you end up doing it for me…"

Hinata looked up, her eyes confused as well as sorrowful, and she glanced at Sakura's hand placed so gently on her shoulder. "W-Why…"

"Long story. Something I can't share. Not now, at least."

It must have been the way Sakura stared at her, with those selfless, endearing forest green eyes, that caused Hinata to wrap her arms around Sakura's waist and bury her head into the space just beneath her shoulder. Her tears spilled onto the carnation haired girl's shirt mercilessly.

"He loves you. I believe he really does love you, Sakura."

Those words, sobbed into the cloth of her shirt, made Sakura start to cry as well.

It also made her heart ache with the possibility of _what could be_.

* * *

_**End Chapter Fifteen.**_

_Well, there ya go! The fifteenth chapter in this little fic of mine. It took a while for it to get out, and it was a very…difficult chapter to write. I guess it's kind of a "filler" which is why it was so difficult. But I like how it turned out. It showed Hinata's perspective of their relationship, instead of hearing it from Neji or Sakura. Kind of an "outsider's" view, looking in. _

_Also, Hinata has never seen Tenten in person, so she thinks that Neji may be talking about a different Tenten than the one that Sasuke cheated on her with. She doesn't want to ask, however. That would be awkward. That explains her whole monologue with comparing Sakura and Tenten, just to answer questions before they start. _

_Alrighty then! Maybe the next chapter will be quicker, but I'm not really sure. I'm sorry for the long wait, though! I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter!_

_Thanks!_


	16. All Dressed In Violet

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Naruto!_

_Okay, so I've decided that this fic is my first priority on this account. Since I actually know where this is going and how it's going to end and everything, I'm going to try to finish this fic before I update the others on this account. So, my other two chapter fics will be on hold for a while, at least until I get finished with this fic. _

_So! Here's chapter sixteen, without any further ado!_

* * *

**Sketches  
****Chapter Sixteen: All Dressed In Violet**

* * *

"_Sakura_!"

The pink haired girl jumped up from her position, surprise written all over her pretty features as she gazed at her blonde best friend. Sakura blinked at her, and sighed, looking at what the Yamanaka-soon-to-be-Uzumaki was freaking out over.

"Ino," Sakura said, walking over to the vivacious woman, "calm _down_. We have plenty of flowers."

"Yes, but do we have plenty of vases _for _the flowers?!"

The crystalline vase was shattered at Ino's feet, a product of her moving about trying to find the wreath of flowers that would hold her hair in place.

"It shouldn't matter anyway, we're _in the bathroom_."

Ino looked at her, contempt in her crystal blue eyes, about to protest before she realized that the carnation haired girl had a point. Her shoulders slumped as the hair dresser fiddled with her golden locks and she sighed in resignation, "Sorry."

"It's okay. Understandable, even. You want a perfect wedding."

"I was about to go _Bridezilla _on you." Ino replied, looking embarrassed.

With those words coming out of Ino's lips, Sakura laughed, a hearty sound that shook her petite shoulders and made her eyes crinkle at the sides.

Ino leaned back into the chair and let the hair dresser fix her hair. She was dressed in her gown already, a beautiful strapless number that hugged her curves, but was classy at the same time. The trim at the top was golden flowers embedded in the fabric, and the train was long and flowing. She sighed as the girl messed with her cornsilk locks, twisting them about and finally settling them onto a bun at the nape of her neck, twisting it elegantly, and putting the wreath of flowers around the thick hair. She pinned it a few times before she withdrew and looked at her in the mirror, satisfaction on her face.

"So?" The girl asked proudly.

Ino's face was bright, happy, "Looks great."

"What about the veil?" Sakura asked, looking at her.

"We're waiting to put that on until the main event starts."

Sakura nodded in understanding. She smiled at Ino and told them she had to go outside to get some fresh air. Ino looked at her, almost protesting her leaving the bride at such an important time, but then said something about being a _Bridezilla _yet again, and finally let Sakura go.

She nodded her appreciation at the bride and left the large, spacious bathroom that was just to the side of the chapel. She stepped into the space between the two bathrooms and sighed before making her way outside the large, stained glass doors and walking into the fresh, crisp air.

Sakura inhaled deeply through her nose, smiling as the breeze tickled her cheeks and ruffled her hair slightly.

It had been a while since the incident at the sandwich shop. Ino's wedding seemed to have snuck up on them all at once, leaving everyone a dizzy mess. Especially Ino. Naruto, on the other hand, couldn't be happier. He was a strange one. Most men would at least get cold feet about being with one woman the rest of their life, but the cheerful Uzumaki seemed to welcome it. He loved Ino that much.

Sakura gripped her chest, feeling the necklace she had strung up there this morning when she was getting ready. It was one that Ino had given her maid of honor. Made of delicate silver, and formed into a delicate cherry blossom, the necklace complimented her well. All of the other bridesmaids got presents as well, but this necklace was something Sakura would cherish for a while, because it was different than all the rest.

A particularly chilly breeze picked up and ruffled her dress around her ankles. It was a long, slinky thing, made of silk that shifted around her curves when she moved. The color was a lavender, a light violet. The neckline plunged slightly, but just reached her chest bone. The straps were thin, but elegantly done, and she shivered once again, remembering how cold it actually was outside. Her hair was done in an low bun, but higher up that Ino's had been, just centered at the back of her head. Half of her bangs were pulled back with a clip of pearls, while the other half hung free on the side of her face.

She sighed and inhaled the fresh air once again, closing her eyes at the pleasantness of it all. _I can't believe Ino's getting married._

"Kinda chilly out here, ne?"

Sakura turned toward the voice, looking for the owner. She knew that voice all too well and it made her heart leap and ache at the same time. She found the eyes of the owner, cool ivory met her excited emerald and she grinned, "I guess…you can say that…" She trailed off as she took in his appearance.

Neji wore a suit that was tailored extremely well. His cousin obviously knew what she was doing when they went out to buy that garment. It was black and had a white button down beneath it, like most tuxes, but it fit his body so well, and there was also something about _him _wearing a tux that had Sakura fighting to breathe. His eyes gazed kindly into her own and she gave a shaky smile.

What Sakura didn't know was that Neji was ogling her the same way.

His eyes raked over her form appreciatively. The dress clung to her in all the right places, and was slightly loose, something he found undeniably sexy and attractive. But it wasn't the dress, it was the person. Neji was sure that if Sakura wore a paper bag and nothing else that he would find it attractive. The dress complimented her slightly pale skin and her luminous green eyes, giving them a glow. He looked into her eyes and felt that indescribable urge to grab her and press his mouth against hers.

Of course, he couldn't.

Didn't stop him from wishing it, though.

Neji looked at her, utterly stunned by her beauty, until Sakura started to feel self conscious and ducked her head to hide her blush. He smiled at that and reached out his hand to lift his slender index finger beneath her chin, tilting her head upwards toward his face.

"Don't look away like that." Neji said, smiling as gently as any man would at their lover. The very intimacy of it all made Sakura blush even more, and her heart pound furiously inside her chest.

Sakura only laughed in response, the sound of it like music to Neji's ears. It seemed to have been far too long since he'd heard that wonderful sound come from her lips. "Not my fault."

Those three words made Neji's eyes soften, "So it's mine?"

"Pretty much. You're the only one who…" She trailed off, not comfortable where this was going. Not at all. It was dangerous territory. Forbidden. She couldn't say any more without it backfiring in her face like the deadliest of bombs.

The very admission that he did this to Sakura made Neji feel his heart accelerate inside his chest.

"Sakura…"

"_Sakura_!" Another very different voice shouted out from inside. It was piercing, demanding, and very different from the Hyuuga youth's calm, dulcet tones. The voice shattered their peaceful interlude, and Sakura didn't even resist the fact that she was entirely disappointed that her time with Neji was cut short.

"The bride awaits." Neji said, swooping into a bow, full of fake grandeur that made Sakura laugh at the pure ridiculousness of it. "Bye, fair maiden."

Sakura felt the blush streak her cheeks, but kept it under control with a fake giggle that she wasn't sure was entirely made-up, "Farewell, noble prince!"

With a laugh and a smirk in her direction, Neji walked away, trying not to feel the tension caused by their simple interaction before. It was in the air, thick as a smog, but seeming solid enough to touch, to wrap their arms around.

He was starting to smother in her presence.

Neji could only wonder what he could do to keep from being consumed.

* * *

"YO!"

Sakura turned to the sound of the unusually loud voice, knowing it all too well. Her emerald eyes narrowed, but a smirk played on her lips. "Yes, all-mighty groom?"

Uzumaki Naruto grinned so brightly that it caused Sakura to smile along with him. She had never been able to meet someone who could even come close to duplicating the blonde man's one hundred watt grin.

"Where's Ino-chan?"

Sakura blinked and then sweat dropped before saying, "Na-ru-to! You're not supposed to see the bride before the wedding! It's bad luck!"

"Aw, I don't believe in bad luck!" Naruto said cockily, scratching the back of his head with his left hand while giving her the thumbs up sign with the other. "Besides, what's luck got to do with it?"

"It would be of your best interest to listen to me."

"Why, Sakura-chan?"

"Because Ino believes in that and if you barge into where she is without warning and see her in her dress, then she'll definitely castrate you. And you want to have kids, don't you?" Sakura said, a smirk in her voice and on her face as she saw Naruto turn white with terror.

"Y-Yes…" Naruto stuttered, his cerulean blue orbs widening with barely suppressed dread.

"Okay, so you see my point, dear, sweet, Naruto?"

"Of course…" His face was as white as a sheet, his blue eyes sticking out more than usual against it in contrast.

"So where's your _boyfriend_?" He leered not a minute later.

_Is he talking about Neji? _Sakura thought, but of course he wasn't. And the fact that she would even think that caused her to be frightened by the intensity of her feelings for him. Of course Naruto wasn't talking about the brunette artist, he was talking about the man that would walk with her during the ceremony down the aisle. Naruto's best man. "Naruto, if you make the insinuation that Iruka-san is my boyfriend one more time, then I will - "

"Love me forever?" The threat of Ino castrating him had definitely worn off.

"_I'll _be the one to castrate you, not lovely Ino-chan." Sakura snarled, her emerald orbs fierce. Suddenly, she felt as if she were in grade school again, with Naruto picking on her like this in such a friendly manner, and her getting offended and trying to deny everything he said. Stubborn as always.

The blonde's Adam's apple bobbed as he gulped deeply. "Uh…right…"

Umino Iruka took Naruto in after his parents died. He had been the father that Naruto had never gotten the chance to know. His birth father died just after he was born, his mother soon followed, heartbroken. Iruka was a friend of the family and had allowed the young Uzumaki to live with him. It wasn't rocket science, no one should've been surprised when Naruto asked Iruka to be his best man. And, naturally, the best man and the maid of honor would walk together down the aisle.

Also, as per Naruto's carefree nature, there would be a bountiful amount of jokes about it.

"_Hey, Sakura, don't get too close! I'd be creeped out if you became my 'Mom'!"_

"_Umino Sakura! Umino Sakura! Has a ring to it, ne?"_

"_Name your first child Naruto! Dattebayo!"_

Sakura clenched her fist as she remembered all the taunts during the rehearsal ceremony. At the time, Neji hadn't been there to dilute her temper, which was already precariously thin due to everything that had happened, so she ended up ruining the rehearsal by yelling at the poor blonde.

To say the least, the minister wasn't appreciative.

"What about that brown haired guy? The pretty boy?"

Her heart jumped at the sudden, probing question. _Neji, Neji…now he's referring to Neji. _Sakura almost rolled her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I just wondered. You two looked mighty close when you were talking earlier today."

A flush graced her cheeks, "Did we…really?"

At the mere mention of Neji she found her heart beating faster than she had ever felt it, her mouth becoming dry, palms becoming sweaty, and a streak of red gracing her cheeks. An embarrassing thing, but it also felt right somehow.

Naruto looked at her and sighed, placing his hand on her shoulder, "You got it bad, ne?"

"Wh-_What_?"

The blonde groom looked at her, and she saw the full extent of his handsomeness right in front of her. The suit fit him well, showcasing his fit build. The light in his eyes was something that she had seen everyday, but he seemed older now somehow. The youth in his face was apparent, but his eyes seemed ancient as he looked at her. The blonde of his hair was bright, sunny, the very essence of his soul right there in front of her.

"Sakura-chan, you're my best friend…that's a girl and not Ino," He said, fumbling for words, "and I'm so glad that you're at my wedding. And…I want you to be happy, okay? Because you, of all the people I know, are one that truly deserves happiness. And if it's with that pretty boy, then go for it. Just…don't get hurt, okay?"

Sakura looked up at him, tears in her eyes at the sincerity of his words. She couldn't even speak after his admission, so she just leapt forward, wrapping her slender arms around the groom's shoulders and pressing her face into his chest, "Thank you, Naruto. That means the world."

His strong arms held her back, holding her slender frame gently, as if he was afraid he would break her. She felt his strong chest rumble as he chuckled at something before he said, "Just don't get hurt, Sakura-chan. We all don't want to see that again."

"Ugh…" Sakura mumbled against Naruto's shirt, her eyes squeezed shut, fighting crying, "You'd better stop with all the niceties; Ino will kill me if I get your suit all wet."

"Ah, it's alright." Naruto said casually. "I don't care what I look like - as long as the outcome at the end is the same." His tone was wistful and dreamlike at the end, filled with unbridled sincerity that made Sakura's heart clench tighter and tighter.

Sakura held him tighter, her throat constricting at the pure kindness of the man she was embracing. He placed his hand on her head, fingers stroking the pale pink strands, "Ino's so lucky." Sakura muttered so quietly that she was hoping Naruto didn't hear it.

"Ya, well," Naruto said, flustered, "that Neji's a lucky one, too."

Sakura looked up, her emerald eyes watery and looking like oceans of green that any poor soul could drown in.

"Thank you."

* * *

The ceremony went off without a hitch.

It was a beautiful one. The whole chapel was decorated with white. White candles, white bowls of flowers… White, white, white. The only splashes of color amongst the white were the bridesmaids' dresses and the groomsmen's suits. As well as Naruto's shockingly blonde hair, standing there like the flame of one of the many candles around the place. The whole place was packed with their closest friends, family, and loved ones.

Sakura stood in her place, closest to where the bride would be standing, in every maid of honor's position. Her bouquet of flowers was clenched tightly against her chest, the delicate petals of the lilies in the bundle tickled her chest bone. Unwaveringly devoted emerald eyes watched Naruto, her heart swelling for him as he stood there, an excited smile on his features. At that moment, Sakura thought he looked more twelve-years-old than he had in a while. It caused her whole being to soar, seeing one of her best friends so happy.

Naruto turned his head to her, winking as he nudged his head in Iruka's direction. Sakura's fingers clenched the bouquet tighter as her eyes narrowed playfully at him before she mouthed, "_Shut up_."

Naruto only grinned, waiting for the big moment when his bride would come through the huge mahogany doors across from him. His huge blue eyes were focused now solely on those doors, and what would be produced from them in mere moments.

Slowly, deliberately, the doors opened.

His eyes widened slightly at the sight of it all, and he sharply inhaled a breath of air between his teeth as he looked at the magnificent figure in white, walking down the aisle toward him.

Ino was stunning in her white strapless dress, decorated with white lace and golden piping. The veil covered her beautiful features as she made her way down tha aisle, but Naruto could clearly see her crystal blue eyes through the flimsy material. She walked slowly, timidly, which was strange all things considered. Her father Inoichi walked her down the aisle, his arm securely twined with hers.

Sakura smirked as she saw Naruto's reaction, _Now that's priceless. _

It seemed to take forever for Ino to walk up there, slowly and taking her time, graceful in her gait and motions. Finally, she got there, and she stopped at the steps of the altar, waiting for the minister to talk.

"Who gives this woman today?"

Inoichi spoke up, his voice thicker than usual, "I do."

With that, Ino separated herself from her father's arm and walked to meet her future husband. She was glowing, and that glow was something that made Sakura's heart clench and unclench in her chest. Beating fast, her heart seemed to not want to stop no matter what.

"You…you look…" Naruto said, speechless. And from the sound of his voice, it was like his throat was dry. "Beautiful."

Cliché words, but being said by the blonde Uzumaki in that way…it made them a whole new kind of compliment. Sakura could see the blood pool in Ino's cheeks even beneath the veil.

"And you're very handsome yourself."

Naruto smirked, tilting his head to the side, "Of course."

Ino returned the smirk, "Sure."

The minister cleared his throat, obviously ready to start. Sakura laughed; the two were so engrossed in each other that she wouldn't have been surprised if they forgot where they were at this moment.

The minister's words were kind, sweet, and he read from the Bible as everyone did. The vows came, and the two lovebirds wrote their own, saying them through thick voices and teary gazes. Sakura felt herself tear up several times during the whole thing, her fingers entangling in the stem of her bouquet once more and her heart thudding in her chest. For one simple moment, she glanced out into the crowd, her emerald eyes searching for something that she needed to see.

There he was.

Neji was in one of the seats up front, looking composed as ever as he watched the vows taking place. What she didn't expect was the fact that his gaze was a bit off. His eyes weren't solely focused on the loving blonde couple in front of them, dedicating their lives to each other, but…

He was staring at _her_.

Ivory orbs were trained singularly on her form, standing there and holding the lilies ever-so-tightly to her chest. She felt her heart rate increase doubly, even more than from when she had listened to the vows. Their eyes met and held for the longest of seconds; Sakura could feel the tension crackling and snapping between them. She forced herself to look away. Though Neji was supposed to be her "date," she had scarcely seen him today; she had been at Ino's beck and call and plus…well, she was kind of nervous around him ever since their encounter earlier that day.

Now, the minister was reading some scripture from the Bible. Then, he asked for Ino's ring, snapping Sakura into attention from her hazy state. She produced the ring for Ino to slip onto Naruto's slender ring finger. It was a simple golden band, but beautiful nonetheless. If Sakura's memory served her right, Ino had something inscribed on the inside of the band.

Ino slipped the ring on Naruto's finger with trembling fingers. The very sight of it caused Sakura's heart to swell for what seemed like the thousandth time that day.

Then, the minister asked for Naruto to produce Ino's ring. Iruka leaned forward and gave it to her. Naruto took it, glancing at the beautiful diamond ring with sapphires embedded on either side of it, set into a shining golden band. He looked at it with reverence, as if it were something particularly special. And it was.

His hands were almost as shaky as Ino's as he slid the ring into place on her digit.

"I now pronounce you man and wife." The minister said, and the words held a sense of hope that Sakura had never heard in them before, "You may kiss the bride."

Before the entire words were out of his mouth, Naruto had the veil lifted from Ino's face, awing in how beautiful she was, and his mouth was on hers, kissing her as if it were the last time they would be able to do so. Her slender arms wrapped around his neck, as Naruto kissed deeper. The whole room erupted into applause, happy and cheering voices shouted out and Sakura felt a few tears slip from her eyes.

In a brief moment, she tore her eyes away from the happy spectacle and found Neji once more, looking at her with those impossibly kind eyes and a smile on his lips as he saw her glance at him yet again. And that same sense of absolute tension was between them, as if it had been stored and saved for this moment.

Ino and Naruto finally parted and walked down the steps from the altar and onto the aisle, hand in hand, grins plastered permanently onto their faces.

The rest of the groomsmen found their bridesmaids and followed them out.

Sakura's arm was in Iruka's and she suddenly felt very awkward as she walked back down the aisle, with Neji's gaze locked firmly on her retreating form.

If that delectable tension between them meant anything, she only hoped it would mean that no trouble would suddenly arise.

* * *

The bubbling beverage in Sakura's glass was a beautiful caramel in color and she sipped with reverence, savoring the taste that she hadn't found as nice as it was now as the fizz tickled her throat and nose.

The cake had been cut, presents had been opened, Ino and Naruto had gotten into their car, freshly decorated with "Just Married" and a variety of cans and things dangling from strings on the back end of it. The wedding was just wrapping up, and Sakura and the bridesmaids were just relaxing as the people started to clean up.

Temari, one of the bridesmaids, dressed in the same lavender dress that the carnation haired girl herself was wearing, was flirting dangerously with Shikamaru, one of Naruto's groomsmen. The others were gathered in a corner, talking about how romantic the ceremony was and how they were so happy for the newlyweds.

"Nice ceremony, ne?"

Sakura was jolted out of her reverie by that same husky voice that had interrupted her thoughts so many times before. She looked around to find herself face to face with Hyuuga Neji. She sat her drink down beside the abandoned piece of cake she had been nibbling on.

"It was." She said, and her voice held all the emotion she had been feeling since the events of the past few days.

His gaze was on hers, his eyes capturing hers and holding them. The air between them was pure unresolved tension, and Sakura suddenly felt her stomach churn.

"I…" She didn't know why, but suddenly she had to move, to do something, so grabbed her piece of cake and walked toward the door that led to the chilly outside. His gaze was so heavy, she felt as if she would be smothered by it. "I need some fresh air, if you don't mind." Her long legs moved expertly, though the heels she wore did little for her. She was unbearably clumsy with those thing on her feet. She reached to open the knob, but a strong hand appeared there before she got the chance.

"Mind if I join you?" The words were loaded, and Sakura wondered what he was thinking.

"Sure." She replied as if nothing was wrong, but it suddenly felt like everything was the problem.

The two walked outside onto the small garden that attached itself to the large building where they were having the reception. It was a beautiful little place, surrounded by flowers and small trees. Vines wound up the sides of the brick walls, curling their leaves around and into the creases and cracks of the old stone. There was a fountain in the middle of the place, the water trickling into it from a tiered set of bowls in the center of the fountain.

It was dark, the only light in the place a set of string lights that Ino had installed before the wedding was to take place. No one from inside the building could see into the space, and Sakura suddenly felt her stomach tingle and become filled with warmth.

"Beautiful, ne?" Sakura asked innocently, her eyes focused on the lights and the different flowers and plants outside.

"Yeah." Neji replied, looking at Sakura whose back was faced to him. He studied her curves appreciatively, looking at how the loose silk of her dress coated her body with a barely suppressed want in his eyes.

She picked up the fork and dug into the cake, just to have something to do. She shoved a piece into her mouth, looking rather unladylike, but at the moment she didn't care. She felt the tension between them, as thick as butter, so thick that it was palpable in her throat, as real as the cake that she now chewed.

Sakura heard footsteps coming towards her and she immediately tensed when a hand was placed on the small of her back. She turned, looking frantically at the brunette man with wild, wheeling green eyes as he stared at her, drinking her in.

Neji's face was mere inches from hers. Inches that Sakura wished she could cross without having terrible consequences. She looked into his ivory orbs and was hypnotized. The suffocating tension was unbearable this close and she wondered what had brought this on. It seemed to have strengthened with time, now becoming so strong that Sakura thought that she would be bowled over if Neji hadn't had his hand pressed firmly against her back.

His hand was hot. So hot that Sakura thought Neji might have had a fever, but she knew that wasn't the likely cause. It was burning her skin, seeping beneath the delicate silk of her dress.

Neji looked at her, feeling her beneath the flimsy material of her dress caused his blood to boil hot and fast beneath his skin, rushing in his veins like some kind of acid, corroding him with the feel of _her_.

His eyes studied her face, memorizing every plane, every detail of her. She was looking at him with a question in her eyes, wondering how this had happened. She looked at him with those big green eyes and her lips parted. His eyes caught something at the corner of her mouth, and he reached out with his thumb and wiped it away.

"Icing." He explained simply, but his hand didn't move from cupping her cheek. It stayed there, seeming to sear the flesh of her cheek.

Her heart seemed to accelerate and she wondered how much more of this she could take before she spontaneously combusted.

"Th-Thanks." Sakura blushed, the pale of her cheeks being stained a furious crimson at his close proximity as well as the burning sensation of his hands on her.

Neji stared at her with eyes full of something…something Sakura had never seen before. Not even with Sasuke had she seen this look. It was tender, yet it told her that he wanted her at this moment. It told her that…that…

"Neji, I - "

Her statement was cut off by a pair of lips pressed firmly against her own. She gasped at first, surprised by his forwardness. Surprised at how this felt. Surprised that at this moment all she could think about was him. Not any of the many obstacles in their way. It was only him in her mind. She was only aware of the fact that he was kissing her, mashing their mouths together in a way that awakened Sakura fully. If she had been in a daze before, she was fully alert now, pressing herself against him as tight as she could, as if by being close to him would quench the raging desire she felt bubbling within her like lava threatening to overflow.

She wrapped her arms around Neji's strong neck as she pressed herself even closer than before, moaning against his mouth. It had been so long since she felt something even remotely close to this, and she realized she was enjoying it way too much.

His lips were firm, but gentle and compassionate against her own. The two had stumbled back against the brick of the wall surrounding the small garden and he had her pressed against it, the rough brick scratching her back through the soft, slippery material of her dress.

His hands made their way down from cupping her face, caressing her neck, ghosting over the slight curve of her breast, before finally resting on the swell of her hip. Neji's lips were fierce against her own, releasing all of the tension that had been building between then during the course of their knowing each other. His tongue traced the outline of her plump lips and it caused a shiver to course down Sakura's spine.

He moved his hand down to the crook of her knee, grasping it in his strong hand before hooking her leg around his waist and hedging himself closer to an appreciative spot between her legs that was currently starting to ache and burn with unsuppressed want. She brought him even closer to her by pulling him toward her with her leg. She moaned in pleasure as his budding erection brushed the sensitive area just beyond her panties.

"_Fuck_…" Neji muttered against her lips, his eyes clenched shut as he parted from her. He ducked his head, his forehead brushing against her chin as he stopped what was happening. It had clicked inside his head what was going to happen. If they hadn't stopped now, he would have ended up taking her without remorse in this small garden, where anyone could see. The thought itself was appealing, but he couldn't…

_Tenten. _He thought in despair as Sakura's hand found his head, rubbing soothing circles on his scalp.

"Neji…" Her voice was full of concern. Concern he didn't deserve. He had completely lost whatever control he had in just a matter of minutes and did _this_. He balled his fist and punched as hard as he could into the side of the brick wall, not caring that he had just injured himself, not caring as the blood started to pool in the injured spot of his knuckles and flow downward to stain the cuff of his suit.

She moved her leg from around his waist and he felt hideous for allowing this to go that far. The pressure between them was so intense now that he had to leave. Had to get out of there. For his sake and for Sakura's.

He parted from her, giving her a brief, "I'm sorry." Just because he had to say something to give Sakura a sense of closure, though there was none, that was painfully obvious.

He turned on a heel, trying not to glimpse at her features, which were most likely confused and hurt and aroused all at the same time, because he knew that was how he felt at this moment in time.

Sakura watched him leave, unable to do anything. There had been a line he had crossed. One that had been painfully clear all this time, and now it had been erased as if it were never there in the first place. It wasn't just his fault. It was hers as well. She could've stopped it, but she didn't. She felt as though she was frozen in place, and all she could manage to do was bring herself closer to Neji as this happened, and moan in response to his actions.

She suddenly felt dirty and rotten, like she needed a shower. She was too mentally exhausted to move. Sakura felt her knees become weak as she collapsed, crumbling to the ground beneath her, the plush grass acting as somewhat of a comforting presence. The heat from their encounter coursed through her body, counteracting the cold weather around her.

Sakura started to inhale faster and faster, unable to stop herself and the tears from rolling down her cheeks.

She brought a hand to touch her swollen lips and felt her world dissolve around her.

The only thing she could seem to do was bow her head and sob, wondering what she had just lost.

* * *

_**End Chapter Sixteen.**_

_Okay! I'm sure most of y'all are saying "FINALLY" at the result of this chapter. This one has been a doozy to write. But it was fun. I had been waiting to write this scene ever since this idea popped into my head, and I am quite pleased with how it turned out. I hope everyone liked this one, though I'm sure there will be some questions. But hey, Neji's only human. He had temptations and well, Sakura is irresistible to him. Don't worry though, I can tell you that he IS NOT going to be one of those people who sneak around on their girlfriends. As you can see, Neji is broken up about this._

_Anyway, I hope that everyone liked this chapter! It came out faster than usual, but it was really long, which was kind of…I dunno. Ironic? Lol. _

_Please R&R! Reviews are love!_

_Thanks again!_


	17. Break Me Down

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Naruto!_

_Okay, here's the next chapter! I'm really moving with these now! They are my main priority as I've stated in the last chapter's notes. Anyway, I'm so appreciative for all the kind reviews I get. I really love that everyone seems to like this story. Thanks so much for all the support!_

_And here's chapter seventeen!_

* * *

**Sketches  
****Chapter Seventeen: Break Me Down**

* * *

Sun streamed through the blinds in the living room where he slept, waking him from a restless slumber.

Neji was still in the clothes from the wedding, the suit that seemed too tight, the blood draining from the wounds on his knuckles. They had been bandaged since, but still, it was still there, a painful reminder of what had transpired the night before. He rolled over, his uncomfortable state apparent, and his weary ivory orbs searched his surroundings.

"Ah, you're up."

The pleasantly sweet voice chimed from behind him and he sat up, looking over the back of the couch to be face to face with his cousin. Hinata looked kindly at him, a worried look on her features despite the sweetness on her face, "I was beginning to get worried. You've slept well past two."

Neji looked at the clock, his bleary vision focusing on the clock across from him, his eyes widened when he saw that the grandfather clock at the side of the room read '2:45'. Gasping in an almost inaudible tone, he rose from his position and placed his feet on the floor beside the couch, noting in a strange way that he had slept in his shoes as well. No wonder he hadn't slept well.

He groaned as he stretched his arms above his head, clenching his eyes shut and relishing the immediate satisfaction he got from shielding the orbs from light.

"Do you want lunch?" The navy haired beauty asked timidly, her eyes, identical to his own, looked at him with compassion. She hadn't asked what had happened to cause him to arrive on her doorstep last night, nor did she ask why he was bleeding. She had cleaned the wound with alcohol and bandaged it up.

Neji opened his eyes, looked at her with a sad smile and replied, "Yes, that sounds nice."

* * *

Sakura woke up alone in her bed, her eyes swollen from crying.

She had never felt more alone in her life, it seemed.

Not only had her best friend married her other best friend just last night, but she might have lost one of the best things that had ever happened to her in that same exact night. The very thought of it caused her chest to constrict, her throat to tighten, and her eyes to become scratchy.

"What have I done?" She spoke to no one in particular, emerald eyes searching the room for anything to prove that she wasn't completely alone. Her ears pricked for the sound of Ino and Naruto's morning banter or the sound of snores emitting from the new husband. Her nose even perked to smell the odor of bacon and eggs cooking.

Nothing.

No one was there.

Loneliness threatened to consume her body like a flame, to char her alive.

That aloneness soon morphed into despair and her face crumpled. The wavering visage of normalcy she had tried to put on had broken and shattered at her feet. Her face was a mask of agony and regret. Eyes were pools of sorrow, her lips trembled, and her fingers itched to do something - _anything _- to get her mind off of it.

But nothing, however, could let her escape the source of her pain.

Her mind kept replaying the night's events in the back of her mind, like a sick slide show that wanted to make her life a living hell.

His lips, so sure and firm and passionate against her own. His grunts as he kissed her senseless and as she wrapped her leg around his waist, they became pleasurable. His hands were strong and hot against her skin.

The unsatisfied feeling was still with her, even hours after. She sighed as she figured she should get up and moving. Opening the door, she looked out at the apartment, and realized just how alone she was.

The kitchen was clean, spotless, a product of Ino cleaning before she left. Her cheery voice was ringing in her ears.

"_Well, I figured I'd at least leave you with a clean house before me and Naruto go on our honeymoon!"_

She bit her lip remembering it. Then a barrage of thoughts hit her. What was going to happen when Ino and Naruto came back? They'd move Ino out and into Naruto's apartment, of course. Naruto lived alone, and that would be the perfect starter place for their newlywed existence. But Sakura…

Sakura supposed she'd have to live alone.

She groaned as she walked into the spotlessly clean kitchen, her eyes wandering from place to place, a hollow feeling deep in her chest.

_Alone…_

The feelings from the night before, the feel of his lips on her skin, the feel of her breasts pressed so firmly against his chest she thought the wind may be knocked out of her, the feel of his breath whispering on her neck…it all came back one hundredfold.

"Oh…" She said falling against the couch as if she were unable to support herself.

The feelings washed over her like a wave.

She felt utterly pathetic as the feelings of loneliness and weakness fell over her like a curtain. Sakura wanted to scream, to shout. Anything to stop this feeling from overwhelming her. Heartache was all she could feel. She tried to block it off, the rejection, the hurt, the pain that just being with Neji like that last night had caused, but…

She couldn't.

Almost like a mirror reflection of last night, she pulled her knees to her face and sobbed.

* * *

"Neji?"

_Shit. _The Hyuuga thought as he stumbled about beside the door, having just let himself in.

He was home. He didn't know if that was a good thing or not, but he knew that he had to tell Tenten what had happened the night before. It pained him to think of what was going to happen, but he knew it was no one's fault but his own. He was the one who couldn't control himself. He was the one who had jumped Sakura like the world was ending. He was the one who was so despicable he couldn't even look at his reflection in the mirror this morning.

"Yeah, Tenten, it's me." He said, trying to make his voice sound as casual as possible. He failed, and it cracked on the second syllable of her name.

Neji slipped his shoes off, putting them in a pile by the side of the door, holding onto the doorframe to steady himself. He looked up at the mirror above the table next to the door and hated what he saw.

His face was drawn, tired. He looked absolutely exhausted. Dark circles adorned the skin beneath his eyes and the normally flawless whites of his ivory orbs were marred with the bloodshot look to them. His suit was in disarray, hair in a mess. Tie was loose around his neck. He wondered how he had gotten back to his place when he looked like he had gotten mugged the night before.

Running a hair through his messy ponytail, he sucked in a breath through his teeth and turned a corner into the space designated as the living room. His eyes scanned the place, looking for Tenten. He couldn't find her. Strange, as he had just heard her voice.

"Tenten?" He called out, and this time his voice didn't falter. It just sounded as tired and heartbroken as he felt.

Still wondering what could have happened, he walked into their bedroom - even referring to it as _their bedroom _made him sick to his stomach - and peeked in. He gasped at what he saw.

Boxes. Cardboard boxes decorated the entire plane of their room. Big ones, little ones, some big enough to carry a disassembled bookshelf, which he thought was exactly what happened, for the large bookshelf in the corner of the room was gone. His eyebrows knitted together in thought and then he heard some sign of life.

The sound was coming from the bathroom. It was a gagging, retching sound that made Neji's own stomach twist with discomfort. Tenten was the only one in the apartment, so it must be her who was making the noise. Was she sick? Immediately, Neji's stomach twisted with another emotion. Concern.

He rapped on the door with his non-injured hand, "Tenten?"

There was a large, final gag from inside the confines of the bathroom and then the flush of the toilet before the brunette opened the door, wiping her mouth and looking at him with an accusing gaze in her caramel depths, "Hey."

Neji blinked. It was a rather odd start to a conversation the day after he had failed to come home from a social function. "Hey?"

The bun haired girl looked at him with contempt, her eyes seeming to want to tell him something, but couldn't find the words. Instead, she chose her stubborn approach and walked past him and back into the bedroom, presumably to finish whatever she had started with the boxes.

He followed her, not knowing what else to do exactly, and he looked inside the bedroom to see that she had plopped herself down on the floor amongst all the boxes she had stuffed things into and the other empty ones that Tenten had yet to fill with her possessions.

"What are you doing?" Neji asked, his eyes looking at her with a concern that was as deep as it was genuine.

"Packing." Tenten said simply, avoiding his gaze.

"Where…" Neji started, his eyes watching her slender hands as they put some blouses into a box labeled 'shirts'.

"I'm moving out, Neji."

His eyes widened at her admission, and the concern he felt from before was replaced with utter confusion, "Why? …I mean, I don't see…what did I do?"

Neji was extremely taken aback. Had someone told Tenten about him and Sakura before he had the chance to? Why was she moving out? He expected this particular discussion to happen _after _he told her about his…slip up.

Tenten stopped, her hands pausing over the pile of shirts that was stacked in front of her, and she looked up at him. Her eyes were filled with emotion, caramel wavered from the intensity of it all. She rose to her feet with slight difficulty, which was odd. She had always been someone in great shape, and to see her struggle to just simply get to her feet made Neji look at her with even greater concern.

"You look as guilty as anything I have ever seen," She said, her voice surprisingly calm as Neji's eyes widened with surprise. But he figured he shouldn't be, for the brunette had always been perceptive when it came to him. It was one of the thing that had made their relationship work for as long as it had. "But…first. I have to - "

"Gah, Tenten!" Neji interrupted her, not one to wait for long. He wanted to get what he had to say over with. "Last night…it was a huge mistake! I shouldn't have done it. I didn't…I wasn't thinking. I was only…I _lost control_!"

Tenten looked at him with a quirked brow. She had never seen Neji this flustered in all the years she had known him and frankly, it was disturbing her just a bit. "And what exactly did you do?"

"I…" Neji looked down, his fingernails bit into his palms. He ignored the sting from his bloodied knuckles as he forced the pressure to become even more uncomfortable. He looked down at the floor before he gazed up at her, eyes and jaw set in determination. "…kissed Sakura. I made the first move. It was no one's fault but _mine _so don't be mad at her."

Tenten looked at him with a wondering expression in her eyes, instead of the plain, unabashed fury he was expecting to overtake her. "Now that's interesting."

His chest was heaving up and down, he was struggling to breathe. But at the same time it felt like he had just lifted a huge weight from his back. Neji also felt strange, like Tenten shouldn't be so calm about the whole thing. She wasn't screaming or even hitting him. She was just standing there, her arms crossed over her chest with a brow quirked in his direction.

"Are you…not mad?" The brunette Hyuuga asked her, his eyes staring at her in disbelief.

Tenten gazed at his form, taking in the way he was standing, the way he was acting, and just sighed, "You might think it's all over, but remember, I was trying to tell you something before I was so _rudely _interrupted."

Okay, he deserved that little jab. Frankly, he wished she was screaming at him instead of taking everything so calmly.

"Right." Neji said, his eyes glancing over her form, wondering what exactly would cause her to move out so quickly, without notice.

"Do you notice anything different about me, Neji?" She asked, her eyes probing him for a response.

He blinked several times before he looked her up and down, "Should I notice anything different?"

_Shit. Genius answer, Hyuuga. _He thought crassly to himself.

Tenten now started to look aggravated, her arms still crossed over her chest, eyes boring holes into his. He noticed that she was wearing a huge oversized sweatshirt that was clearly a man's, but definitely not his. The sweatshirt was so huge it could've been worn like a dress. It came just above her knees. She wore a pair of tights beneath it.

"You're wearing a sweatshirt I have never seen in my life. And it's _huge _on you."

Tenten smirked, "Well, there's one right thing you've done in the past day."

Neji winced. Yeah, he deserved that one, too.

"Looks like I'll have to point it out to you." Tenten grumbled as she reached at the bottom of the sweatshirt and lifted upward. Neji almost turned his face away, not feeling like he should glance at her if she were to strip in front of him. But he didn't.

And got the shock of his life.

Her stomach was clearly bulging in a familiar way. Pouching out in front of her as if she were wearing a shirt with a balloon stuffed beneath. His heart stopped in awe at the sight of it all. He felt pride, then…despair.

_Do __**not **__tell me I just cheated on my __**pregnant **__girlfriend. I am the __**scum **__of the Earth. _

"Yeah, the throwing up. The doctor's appointments." Tenten explained her strange behavior over the past few days that had led Neji to believe that she had a terrible illness. "I'm pregnant, Neji."

"Oh…my God." Neji murmured, walking over to her. Joy and despair warred within him. Should he be happy that he had fathered a child with his girlfriend? Or should he be disgusted that he had just cheated on the mother of his child? He hands outstretched and wrapped themselves around her, puling her tightly against him. He buried his face in her hair and inhaled. "I can't…believe it."

Tears started to prick at Tenten's eyes and she cursed herself. She had done so well at keeping her emotions in check until now. She felt absolutely pathetic. Downright nasty. Just like a bad person. She growled deep in her throat as she murmured the words that she knew would break Neji's heart.

Blinking Neji pulled away and looked at her, "What? I didn't hear you."

Tenten looked into his eyes and felt the disgrace overwhelm her as she said, "It's not yours, Neji."

He inhaled sharply and looked at her, thinking he didn't hear correctly, "Wh-What?"

"_It's_ _not yours_!" She yelled at him and the terrible feeling of being sick washed over her yet again. But this didn't have anything to do with the baby currently inside her.

Neji pulled himself away from her as if he had been burned. And, in many ways, he just had. "How…why?"

"_That's _why I'm not mad at you." Tenten continued, ignoring his query, "I can't be mad. It would be hypocritical. Sure, it stings, but…I should've expected you to cheat on me sooner or later."

"No, I wouldn't…I mean…"

"Yes, you would have." Tenten said, surprisingly calm despite the tears that had just fallen from her weary brown eyes, "It's Sakura. It's _always _been Sakura. Ever since you met her. It was _always her_."

"I'm…so sorry." Neji said, not having any other words to say what he was feeling at the moment. "Tenten, I…"

"No," Tenten cut him off, eyes fierce, "I should be the one apologizing. This…has been going on longer than you and Sakura. I believe you when you said you haven't done anything with her. With good reason, because you would tell me if you had. Which you just did. But I…I'm terrible." Tears were pouring down her cheeks now without remorse, "I've been cheating on you for a while, and…I…"

Neji looked at her, and despite her not being angry at him, he felt the rage bubble within him. This had been going on for a while, but she hadn't told him? Now it had gone so far as to end up with her pregnant before he found out she had been unfaithful? How might things have gone down if she hadn't gotten pregnant? Would she have kept cheating on him in this sick cycle?

"And that's why you're moving out." Neji replied, more a statement than a question.

Tenten nodded, but then continued, "I can't continue lying to myself anymore."

"About?"

"My feelings. I'm in love with this guy. I _did _love you, but…things change. People change." She said somberly, her eyes on the floor, afraid to meet his challenging ivory gaze, "And I don't think you're in love with me anymore, either."

Her last sentence rang in his ears like a chiming of bells, as if haunting him with her words.

"Because you're in love with Sakura, aren't you?"

Neji's body stiffened, his fists clenched at his side, nails once more digging into his palms, this time causing them to bleed. His heart was racing and his teeth bit the inside of his cheek until he tasted copper.

_So now it all comes out, I suppose._

"I don't need you to tell me your answer, because I know."

His heart was beating even faster in his chest and he looked at the perceptive young woman with sorrow in his eyes.

"I'm sorry." Were the only words Neji could find himself to say.

Tenten just gave him a sad smile and made her way back into the bedroom, packing her things. She tossed a few more shirts into the boxes and then went over to the closet to get out yet more clothes.

"Where will you go?" He asked as he walked over there to hand her some clothes.

She took them from his hand and packed them, "Sasuke's."

Neji stopped, his hand becoming still on the clothes he was helping her pack, "_Sasuke_?"

Tenten froze, knowing that she had revealed too much, "Yeah."

"He's not good for you, Ten."

The brunette gave him an icy glare, "He's changed. I know that sounds ludicrous, but he has. And I'm _not _just one of those girls who is so _blinded by love _to not know what is going on. He is the father of my child." She said, and Neji felt his heart crumble a bit, "And as soon as I told him, he has tried to be a better person. He's succeeded in many ways. He's more caring, more considerate - "

"He cheated on you."

"Most men in my life tend to do that." She looked at him, a slight angry tone to her voice and Neji growled at her jab.

"Don't start with that." He snapped, "I feel bad enough. And _you've _been deceiving me for _way _longer so don't try to blame me just because I'm the _guy_."

"So should I blame Sakura?"

"_No!_" Neji's voice was a loud command, ringing through the apartment like a powerful bell.

Tenten let the subject drop for a moment, packing her things into the boxes and trying to ignore the fact that Neji had just sacrificed himself to protect Sakura's dignity.

"Sasuke always comes back to me." Tenten said in a slightly arrogant tone, but it was filled with faith in the man that Neji had come to despise, which was strange since he hadn't actually _met _the guy. "He'll be with other girls, but those never last. He always comes back to me. And with the baby…" She trailed off, a wistful dreaminess came into her voice, "When I told him, he promised me he'd stop all the 'extracurricular activities' and focus on just us. Me and the baby. And I believe him, because he's never actually made that promise to me before."

Neji looked at her, waiting for her to continue her story, and she did.

"It was probably because of the fact that I couldn't break it off with you." Tenten said, her eyes moving over to the brown haired Hyuuga standing just inches from her, "I just couldn't. No matter how hard I tried, no matter how much I wanted to…I was scared. And a part of me still loved you." She looked away, down at her socked feet, and sighed. "But that changed. I said once that I was in love with the _idea _of you. Stability. Always faithful…" She looked back up at him, her eyes fierce, "but in the end, we both went our separate ways, obviously. And I personally think it's for the better. Because we'll both be happy."

Neji felt like he was going to explode any minute. Not from the anger that was slowly starting to dissipate beneath his skin, but from the utter insanity of their situation.

"I figured you had done something when you didn't come back last night." Tenten said, picking up a box and moving it into the hallway. "But I had already planned to move out today, anyway, so it kind of conveniently coincided with each other." Neji looked at her in disapproval at her straining to put down the box, but didn't say anything until she started to move another one. That was when he stepped in and picked it up for her, taking it into the hallway. She looked at him with a question in her eyes.

"Even if it's not mine, I can't have you hurting the baby." He said, his eyes kind, "Or yourself."

Tenten gave him the first truly non-jaded smile of the day, and it lit up her face. "Thank you. For everything."

Neji nodded roughly, looking at the brown haired girl with a fragment of the feeling he used to experience around her, but he felt it paled in comparison to what he felt when he was around Sakura. Maybe that was what she was talking about when she was rattling on about Sasuke.

"I'm sorry that things have happened this way." Tenten said, looking at him with large brown eyes that told him that she felt as bad as he did about this whole situation, "I…really am."

"Yeah," Neji looked down at her and the next words that came out of his mouth were genuine, "Me too."

A moment passed while the two just looked at each other, remembering times past. Times that would never happen again. It was a sad feeling, a feeling of finality, one that neither of the former lovers could shake. A poignant feeling filled the air, and Neji knew that this was the last day that he would share in the same house with her.

"Would you like help packing?" He asked, his eyes sincere.

"Oh," Tenten smirked, knowing that the seriousness of the moment had passed, "want to get rid of me that badly, ne?"

Neji laughed at her response and said, "Maybe."

Tenten laughed, knowing he was teasing and said, "Right."

Neji walked over and grabbed a few boxes and brought them out into the hall. "Who's going to drive you over to Sasuke's?"

"Sasuke is actually coming over later this afternoon to pick me up. He had to work today, so he couldn't help pack." Tenten explained, walking over and tossing one of the rare stuffed animals she had with her into the box, "And, plus, it would've been awkward if you came home and a strange man was helping your girlfriend pack her things, ne?"

Neji laughed despite himself, "Yeah, it would've been."

The two finished packing Tenten's thing into boxes. It was a strange feeling, being so casual with someone that had just dropped several bombshells onto his shoulders, but it was something that he had to do, as if packing would help heal the massive hole that had been carved between them. He knew things would never be the same. Frankly, he was kind of glad at that. He was sure that she felt the same way as well. She even hummed to herself as she packed.

Sasuke then came several hours later. It was dark, and just a bit past eight in the evening. He gave Neji a curt nod, before looking at Tenten with a tenderness he had not expected to see on his face. The man who cheated on his cousin, broke her heart, and the man who had done the exact same thing to Sakura.

Maybe he really had changed like Tenten said.

They were gone in a matter of minutes, Sasuke loading Tenten's things into her car, not allowing the brunette girl to even bend over to help him pick things up. When she did, he gave her a stern glare and denied her when she said she was able to handle it. For his credit, he really seemed to care about Tenten. It was slightly awkward, watching this happen, but he decided to make himself useful and help out as well, bringing boxes to the car and loading them.

When that was done, Tenten stood in front of Neji, just outside the passenger's side door, Sasuke was already at the wheel, his hands tapping slightly in impatience on the stylish leather of the rather expensive car.

Tenten looked at Neji, her caramel eyes expressive as she gazed at him with the utmost gratitude and thanks, "Thank you, Neji. So much."

"No problem." He said, smiling back.

Then he did something that was unexpected. He embraced her. The woman who had cheated on him countless times with the man in the car near him. The woman who had just broken up with him. He wrapped his arms around her and was surprised to find that he felt nothing. Not a tinge of heartache, not a smidgen of sorrow. Just a feeling that things had run their course. A natural feeling that caused something to swell in his chest.

Hope? Relief?

Neji didn't know what it was, he was just glad that things had been cleared up, even though it meant that this had to happen. At the time, he was actually glad. His feelings for Sakura were fluttering around in his chest and finally, _finally _after all this time he could act on them.

His lips pressed a chaste, friendly kiss against the skin of Tenten's forehead and he felt her arms tighten around him.

"Bye, Ten." He said to her as he parted.

She looked up at him, her hands finding their place, resting on her swollen belly, "Bye, Neji."

With that, she turned from him, getting into the car slowly, carefully. Sasuke started up the car and then they were gone.

Neji felt the chilly wind caress his face. It was over. All the drama, the tears, the sadness, and the confusion he felt over his feelings for Sakura conflicting with having a girlfriend were gone. Scattered in the wind like the leaves at his feet.

With a decisive turn, he walked into his apartment complex with a smile on his handsome features.

He had a very important call to make.

* * *

There was nothing on television today.

Every time Sakura turned the channel, there was some sappy romance commercial, an advertisement for the latest romantic comedy, a jewelry commercial for guys looking to buy their wives the best gift from their store…

It sickened her.

So there she was, flipping channels like she hadn't a care in the world. It was a normal, mundane thing to do, but she had never felt so _ab_normal in her life.

No one had called today, thank goodness. They all knew Ino was at her honeymoon, getting loved up by her new husband, and they didn't want to disturb the other tenant of the place. It was strange though, usually Temari or someone would end up calling just to chat. She figured they had gotten busy with their own lives and had forgotten her.

_Way to lift the mood, Sakura. _She thought to herself cynically.

She groaned as she flipped to a talk show. _Ah, Oprah. My one true friend._

She leaned back into the couch, her pink hair matting against the cushions of it, and she sighed, running a hand through whatever hair had escaped the grasp of the sofa. Her eyes were stinging from crying on and off all day and she felt slightly pathetic. Not just slightly, she felt as if she were the most pathetic being in the universe.

"_Just…don't get hurt, okay?"_

She remembered Naruto's words the night before regarding Neji and she cursed herself. How ironic that the one thing…the one _wise _piece of advise that the carefree blonde had given her she decided to ignore? It caused her to clench her hand tightly around the remote, trying to crush it despite knowing that she couldn't possibly have the strength to do so, but she was trying her hardest.

_Ring…_

_Ring…_

_Ring…_

The phone brought her out of her angry reverie, jolted her out of it. She was shocked because that was the last sound she expected to hear at about nine o'clock at night. She reached over to the cordless phone and saw who it was.

Flashing on the caller ID was the name _Hyuuga Neji._

Her heart leapt inside her chest. A sense of dread and hope combined itself together inside her body and filled her with an unease. She had no clue what he was calling for, what he wanted to talk about, what he needed to say to her. But her mind called out at her, telling her things that she didn't want to hear. _He's calling to say he can't see you anymore. He's calling to tell you that he loves Tenten and doesn't want to leave her. He's calling to tell you that you were a __**mistake**__._

_Ring…_

_Ring…_

_Ring…_

Tears were prickling at her eyes yet again and with a strong, stubborn hand she wiped them away.

"_Just…don't get hurt, okay?"_

Naruto's voice chimed again in her mind and Sakura felt the tears overflow her large eyes and slip down her cheeks to fall gently on the screen of the phone, blurring the name on the ID.

"I won't." She replied to herself, listening to how broken her voice sounded in the vast silence of the apartment.

Then she pushed the phone to the side, pointedly ignoring the sharp cries of the device until they faded off into silence.

* * *

_**End Chapter Seventeen.**_

_Alright! Now there's chapter seventeen! I hope y'all enjoyed this one! Things have gotten cleared up for Neji and Sakura, but yeah. Things aren't going to be easy yet! No, no, no. Lol. _

_Okay, so I hope everyone liked this! I'm trying really hard to get this fic finished! There are only a couple more chapters left, actually, so…yeah! I hope you review with your thoughts and opinions!_

_Thanks so much for reading!_


	18. An Invitation

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Naruto!_

_Okay, here's chapter eighteen! Thanks to everyone for your reviews for the last chapter! They mean a lot! And, to not keep y'all waiting, here is the eighteenth chapter!_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

**Sketches  
****Chapter Eighteen: An Invitation**

* * *

"Gosh, it was so romantic, Sakura!"

Sakura smiled to herself as she sat, Indian style, on the floor, packing several items of clothing into the flimsy cardboard. She looked over at her blonde friend and grinned, the expanse of the gesture taking up her whole face.

"Really now?" She replied, quirking a delicately sculpted brow at her best friend.

Uzumaki Ino - oh how she _loved _her new last name and continued to remind the poor girl about it every chance she got - looked at Sakura with her eyes full of bright happiness and joy. She gave her soon-to-be-ex roommate a thumbs up and smiled, "It was utterly _amazing_. And if anyone tells you that sex goes downhill after marriage, they're _wrong_!"

"Oh. My. God." Sakura deadpanned, slapping her face with a hand and bringing it down to her chin in an over-exasperated manner.

"_What_?" Ino said in her 'I-didn't-do-anything-wrong' tone, "It's true! Sakura, when you get married, you'll find out that I'm telling the truth!"

She almost gasped at the pain that shot through her at that simple phrase, the simple annotation of words that caused her whole façade of happiness to crumble. Gulping, she hoped the cheery blonde hadn't noticed her minor slip up and she just looked at the clothing in her hands, starting to fold them ever-so gently, as if they were fragile and would be tainted underneath her touch.

"But, what I _really _don't get is why you haven't heard from hunky boy Neji!"

This time, Sakura couldn't hide the gasp that fell from her lips.

Ino hadn't noticed that, however, and continued talking, rambling on and on, "I mean, he came with you to my wedding," As she said the words 'her wedding', her entire face lit up like a candle's flame, flickering brightly, "And you looked totally hot in that bridesmaid dress. Trust me, he was looking at you the _whole time_ with a look that was…I dunno, but it gave me chills for sure! In the good way. Oh, Sakura, no, not that Neji made me hot, but the fact that he was looking at you like - "

"_Okay_, Ino." Sakura said, clenching the articles of clothing so tightly that she was afraid she might rip into them like they were cheap pieces of paper.

"Sakura…" Ino's sense of amusement was gone, and she knew that something was wrong with her carnation haired friend. "Did something happen?"

Sakura pulled her bottom lip into her mouth and bit down hard. That was all the answer the blonde needed, for she looked at her with concern and wonder at what could have happened to make her feel so bad. So bad that she wouldn't even bother discussing it with her when she first arrived back at the apartment yesterday.

"I…don't care to talk about it right now." She said, her eyes cloudy, stormy, _angry_. The very sight of it unsettled the cornsilk haired girl and she nodded infinitesimally in reply to her plea.

Ino had arrived back from her honeymoon just a day before. She and Naruto had gone to Jamaica and had apparently had the time of their lives. Now, a day after she returned, she had started packing in preparation for her move out of the little apartment she and Sakura shared and into the one that Naruto inhabited just downtown.

She looked at Sakura, her profile was fierce, guarded. It was strange to see Sakura like this, especially after they had been so close these years that they had lived together. They had been like a family - a family of two, though that didn't matter. Like sisters, as close as if they were blood relatives. She felt a gaping hole start to form in her chest as she looked at Sakura. Had they really drifted apart so much in just a short amount of time apart? Or had whatever that transpired between the two of them been so bad that she didn't even trust her enough to tell?

As she watched the pink haired girl pack her things into box after box, Ino couldn't be sure.

While Ino was absorbed in her own thoughts about the consequences that being married might have had on their friendship, Sakura was thinking in a completely different direction. Her eyes were focused, but cloudy at the same time. Seeing, but unseeing. Her movements were almost robotic in their preciseness, which was odd, considering the kind of person Sakura was.

Now that Ino had opened up the conversation about Neji, Sakura was pulled into the abyss of her thoughts about the brunette haired artist, when she had been trying her best to not think about him at all the past two weeks while Ino was gone.

He had called her every day. Sometimes multiple times. And each time, she had ignored him, not wanting to speak to the man who had broken her heart in more ways than one. She wouldn't play the broken hearted girl this time, for she knew what he would say, it played over and over in her head. The options he would use, the excuses, the tone of his voice faint in her head as she went on with the things he would tell her just so that he wouldn't have to see her again.

"_I'm so sorry, Sakura. But I'm in love with my girlfriend, and she's pregnant, so I have to be there to support her despite the fact that it isn't mine."_

Her voice wrapped around the words Neji might use and twisted them, injecting them with bitter sarcasm as it got closer and closer to the end. She groaned as she rose, about to take the sheets off of Ino's bed and fold them. The voice only getting louder and louder inside her head.

"_I'm sorry."_

She paused. Now that was something different altogether. That the residual tone of his voice after he had stopped kissing her, pulled away, and didn't look at her. Not even once did he look at her after that happened. He didn't look back, didn't do anything. He just…_left_.

Maybe that was what had hurt her so much. The fact that that was all he said before he left her to cry in a bundle on the ground, digging the heels of her shoes into the earth in anger, clenching her fists so tightly that she was sure she was going to need stitches from the nails being dug into her flesh.

The fact that he _wouldn't even look at her_.

She had been so out of it that she hadn't even realized that she was biting her lip. She stopped, gasping at the pressure being exerted, in case she were to hurt herself. Frankly, she was sure that physical pain wouldn't hurt as much as what she was going through at this moment.

She didn't know when her sorrow had been replaced with anger, but as far as she was concerned, it was a decent way to deal with heartbreak rather than sobbing like a pathetic little girl, which she had done far too many times in her life.

Sakura didn't know what she'd do if she were to actually answer his calls. He hadn't called today, so maybe he was taking the hint. She didn't know if she would start to cry at the sound of his voice, or yell at him, or even smile. She didn't know what her reaction would be.

She folded the sheets carefully, neatly, as to not incur Ino's wrath at wrinkled sheets when she arrived at her husband's house.

She closed her eyes in a sigh, and immediately she saw Neji's handsome face, the way it had been that night in the garden, frustrated and passionate, and then ashamed and angry at what he had done.

Even if she didn't answer the phone, she couldn't escape him.

No matter how hard she tried.

* * *

Rolling over in his bed, he sighed and looked at the clock, which read '10:15' in bright red letters.

Neji groaned as he placed his forearm over his eyes, as if to block out whatever light was streaming through the blinds and into his bedroom. He rose slowly, knowing that it was past time to get up and move about, though he had nothing to do, it seemed.

He stumbled into the hall, looking around at the now empty apartment with eyes that seemed too old for his face. It was as if he was looking into an abyss, though it was only his apartment. The silence was deafening, and he wondered when he started to miss company. Not particularly his ex-girlfriend's, but just the presence of someone's footsteps beside his own. Someone's voice to call out his name.

He wondered what it would be like if it was _Sakura _was the one to be next to him in his house, eating at his table and sleeping in his sheets. The very thought of it caused a tingle in his stomach to bubble forward before making its way downward.

Sighing, he tried to rid himself of those feelings. The brunette made his way to the bathroom, ready to take a shower for the purpose of cleansing himself as well as his mind. As if the running, scalding shower water would somehow make all of the turmoil he was going through vanish like the steam it left behind.

"Damn…" Neji said, running a hand through his mess of bed hair. He walked into the bathroom, noticing that his chest felt as hollow and as empty as his apartment now was.

How _pathetic_.

He stripped, ridding himself of his sleeping clothes and turned on the shower, waiting for the water to get so hot that he almost couldn't bear it before he stepped into the spray.

Clenching his eyes shut against the steaming hot water, he hissed through his teeth, but in a way, it was almost as if he deserved the discomfort. He had been absolutely out of line with Sakura, and maybe that was the problem. Maybe she was so disgusted with him that she didn't want anything to do with him? Maybe that whole transgression was what had caused her to realize that she didn't want to be with him? After all, at the time he was _cheating _on his girlfriend. And Sakura was once cheated on. No doubt she wouldn't want to be the "other woman" in that case.

All he wanted her to do was _pick up the phone_.

But she hadn't.

He'd been trying to call for the past couple of weeks. Every day, he tried. It may have seemed strange to anyone who had never wanted something as bad as he wanted Sakura. For him, it made perfect sense. Someday, she would pick up the phone. Either out of aggravation or out of the fact that she wanted to talk.

He was prepared to wait for that day to come, someday. But hopefully it would be soon, because he had something he needed to tell her. Both about him and his career. It was important, and he wanted her to be there because she had had as much a part in it as he did.

He yawned half-heartedly. No matter how long she ignored him, ditched his calls, he would wait for that day when, inevitably she would pick up the phone.

Maybe it was just his overconfidence. The fact that he knew Sakura would pick up the phone at least one of these days was a testament to that. That alone was better than thinking that Sakura didn't…_want _him.

Just thinking that the carnation haired beauty didn't want him…wanted nothing to do with him anymore…it made his heart lurch, his stomach clench, and his mind whirl. A feeling that resembled nausea curled itself in the pit of his stomach and he tried to calm it before it went out of control.

The wound on his knuckles had slowly healed, but there were still a few residual scratches etched into his skin. The stinging that the hissing water brought upon them was enough reminder of that night.

The events of that night…he was still conflicted over them. He wasn't sure if he would take them back or act the same way he did.

Growling, he shut off the water, feeling even more dirty than when he entered. He grabbed a towel off the rack and dried himself before wrapping it around his slim waist and striding into the bedroom once more.

He rifled through his clothes, the clean ones, he hadn't bothered to do laundry in quite a while. Just hadn't been feeling up to it. Come to think of it, he hadn't drawn in a while either. It was something that he had put to the side, content on focusing on Sakura as well as just to mope around in his own self-pity. It was a sad scene, for someone like Neji, but he just couldn't bring himself to do the thing he loved.

Neji dressed in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and cranked the heat up in his apartment. He shivered as the air started and was then welcomed by the warmth that came after it. Walking over to his drawing stool, he sat down and sighed.

The blank paper seemed to call out to him, beckoning him to draw on it. Reaching forward, he clasped a drawing pencil in his hand and tried his best to relax his wrist enough so he could fluidly sketch whatever came to mind. It wouldn't hurt, he thought. Maybe a little distraction would be helpful to the whole Sakura situation.

His hand moved gracefully across the page, scratching the pencil against the paper gently, as if it were a caress. His eyes locked on the paper, seeing but unseeing, as he got into the mood of drawing.

Minutes passed, then an hour came around and he was still sketching, somehow uncertain as to what it was until a few seconds after he deemed it finished enough to look at without his artist's eye.

What he saw made him feel even more empty.

The face stared at him, large eyes wide with concern and worry but with all the innocence of a child. The lips were plump and swollen. There was a flush on the cheeks. The hair was in disarray around the porcelain jaw line and some strands were stuck to the forehead.

Without even intending to, Neji had ended up drawing the very object of his obsession.

"Sakura…" He muttered her name with all the reverence of something holy, and he bent forward, clasping his head in his hands.

The drawing of her looked exactly the same as the night he had left her, her eyes confused and hurt and terribly pained. It was enough to make him yearn for her all the more. Now that he could actually want her, it was painful enough for him to not have wanted to need her in the first place.

He sat up, slowly pulling his face from his hands, and looked up, the sunlight was now streaming through his windows, creating patterns of light along the boards of his floor. It was no doubt a cold day outside, though, if the weather the past week was any indication.

Neji stayed like that for a while, chin in his hand, before he looked over to the phone.

He hadn't planned on calling her today, but he reached over and grasped the letter on his coffee table in his hands and looked at it with the utmost care. Neji smiled, a feeling of pride swelling in his chest, followed by the beginning hints of despair. Looking at that letter always seemed to do that to him.

It also made him want to call Sakura all the more.

So, for the first time that day, he walked over to the phone and picked it up, swiftly dialing the number to the apartment that housed the one person he cared for more than himself.

* * *

_Ring, ring, ring…_

Sakura sat bolt upright from her position, her eyes darting around to find the phone in her house. She couldn't answer it. She didn't _need _or _want _to hear those words of rejection that were most likely going to come from Neji's mouth. If she just pretended it never happened, then it would go away, right?

_Yeah, right. For someone so smart, you can be awfully stupid. _She thought to herself, glancing around, emerald eyes panicking when she couldn't find the phone.

The ringing then stopped.

"Hello? Haruno-Yamanaka residence. This is the Yamanaka speaking. Oops…I mean _Uzumaki_."

_Shit! Why, Ino?! _

"Oh, thank you! Yes, the honeymoon was wonderful. And I'm so glad you made it to the wedding. I know Sakura was glad as well."

_I'm going to die. Yes, this is how I'm going to die. _

"She's been fine. I just got back and we've been packing up my stuff. Gotta move in with the hubby, of course. Would you like to speak with her?"

_No…no, no, no…_

"Of course, here she is!" The cheery blonde walked into her old room, phone in hand, dust on her face and a grin on her lips. She mouthed quietly, "It's _Neji_."

"Ino, I…"

"Talk to him! He sounds glad for some reason."

_Glad? Why would he be glad? _Sakura thought, her eyebrows knitting in confusion, _If he's going to break my heart why would he be glad? _

Reluctantly, she took the phone from Ino's hands and pressed it to her ear, "Hello?"

A sigh of relief from the other line, "Sakura?"

His voice was hopeful, elated, dare she say _excited_? She wondered what could've possessed this change in him this fast. From the night in the garden, when he was so terribly beside himself with guilt over what he did to now, it was as if she was talking to a completely different person with a different agenda.

"Yeah," She said cautiously, "it's me."

"Good…I'm glad I could finally get a hold of you."

"Yeah."

Ino looked at Sakura with a question in her eyes before walking away, giving the pink haired girl her privacy.

"How have you been?" Neji asked, his voice just as cautious as hers had been, but she could still hear that faint hint of elation in his voice.

"Fine. I guess." She was surprised at how angry she sounded. How hurt and wounded. She almost gasped at the rough sound to her voice.

"Sakura," Neji started, and she could feel where this was going. He had probably found out that Tenten was pregnant and he was going to help raise the baby anyway, despite the fact that it wasn't his fucking kid. She didn't know why but already she was angry.

"Neji." Sakura interrupted him, her voice sounding strained even to her own ears, "I know Tenten was pregnant. She told me. And if you want to be with her and not me, then that's fine. I don't see why you were so insistent on telling me, calling me every day and whatnot. I don't even know why you'd want to talk to me - "

"You knew?" Neji said, his voice incredulous, "Wow…wasn't expecting that one."

"Yeah, well," Sakura couldn't find any words. Him being clueless to that fact was almost self-satisfying in a way. But he didn't sound mad like she thought he would have. He almost sounded intrigued. But not angry. Not like she was right now. "anyway, I know you probably want to be with her - "

"Sakura, Tenten and I broke up."

_That _certainly dissolved her temper.

"Wh-_What_?"

Sakura would have been embarrassed that her voice sounded so shocked, if that emotion wasn't overridden with…well, _shock_.

She could hear Neji chuckling over the other line, "Tenten and I broke up." He repeated more forcefully, but with still that light, chuckling tone that she had grown to love so much…

She shook her head, willing the thoughts from her brain. She couldn't afford to think that way. Not now.

"Wh…why?"

"Well, apparently, we were both unfaithful." He said, and the joking nature was gone, replaced by a bitter tone that Sakura immediately disliked.

"Ah…"

It was quiet over the line.

"I…" Neji broke the endlessly long silence, "I am glad I could get a hold of you. I was thinking about coming over to your place, but I figured that would make me look like even more of a stalker."

A laugh. "Nice."

"At least you laughed." Neji said, his voice strangely tender, "I've missed that sound."

Her heart skipped a beat despite herself willing it to do the opposite.

"Yeah, well, won't be the first time I've heard that." She replied, trying to go for 'nonchalant' in her tone when in reality her heart was back to doing somersaults, as if they had never been apart.

This time, Neji laughed, and she could almost picture it. The way the corner of his eyes would crinkle up, the way that his teeth would glint in the light, the slight crookedness of his smile that was somehow perfect to her.

She really did have it bad.

"I called to tell you that, and," Neji started, his voice steady and confident. "the painting of you that I did got into the art gallery in Paris."

A beat, then, "Are you serious?"

Again, Neji chuckled, "You sound so surprised."

"Well, yeah, I mean…it's kind of surreal."

"Ah, well, at least you don't doubt my skills."

Sakura laughed again, "Why, I'd never doubt _that_."

"So…I was wondering if you would like to go with me." Neji said, his voice sincere. "I mean, you are the model for the painting, and I have to go down there to talk to people about it and…you know, so people can know my face and I can get jobs and such. You can invite people, if you want."

"W…Wait." Sakura said, her mind wheeling from the sudden confession, "You want _me _to go with _you _to _Paris_? As in Paris, _France_?"

"Well, Paris isn't in Italy," was Neji's wry reply.

There was that laugh again, coming unannounced through her lips and echoing in the phone, as of its own accord. She hadn't realized that she missed laughing - truly laughing, and not the faux chuckles that had been coming from her these past two weeks.

There was a pause over the line, and Sakura sighed, hearing it crackle over the mouthpiece and into Neji's awaiting ear.

"I mean, you don't have to go. I just thought it would be nice if we could both go. And…" Neji said, trailing off before he added, "…I wanted you to go with me."

Blinking, Sakura could hardly comprehend what was coming from the handsome man's mouth. She replied, "I…er, thank you for inviting me. I'll have to see what time we would leave and if I could get off work…"

"Of course." Neji said in an understanding tone. "Just call me when you get everything straightened out."

"Of course." Sakura replied in a tone identical to the one Neji had just used. It caused him to chuckle, and she realized that she missed the sound of his laugh more than anything. "It…it was nice hearing from you."

"Huh. Surprised to hear that, since you haven't answered in two weeks."

A bitter smile curved Sakura's lips, "Blame it on paranoia."

"Ah, sweet, paranoia."

"The best emotion ever." Sakura stated in a sarcastic tone, one that caused Neji to emit a rough laugh. It was quiet for a minute, and the brunette Hyuuga could see where this was going, "Well, I guess I should let you go."

"Yeah," Neji said in agreement, "just call back. I'll answer."

"Thanks." Sakura felt her lips curl up to make her smile even wider, "Talk to you later."

"Yeah…talk to you later - oh, and Sakura?"

"Mm?"

"I've missed you."

"Same here."

With that, Sakura hung up the phone.

"You can come in now, Ino."

"What? Whatever are you talking about?" Ino said as she walked into the room, a guilty expression on her face like a kid that had been caught eavesdropping. Which she had. And she knew it.

Sakura looked at her blonde friend with an expression of incredulity mixed with something like hope. "I know you were listening."

"Ah…and I was being so sneaky about it too!"

"Yeah, about as sneaky as a bull in a china shop."

Ino sighed, looking at Sakura with those cerulean blue eyes that always knew when something was up. Looking at the pink haired girl's face, her eyes lit up with enthusiasm and life, something that she hadn't seen since she arrived back home, she felt an instant sense of happiness for her friend, "So what's up?"

Sakura gazed up at Ino from her position on the floor, among the many boxes that were packed and ready to move. Her eyes betrayed everything and nothing all at once, and Ino was suddenly anxious to know what had gotten Sakura so happy all of a sudden. Neji, of course, but what had he said to her? She had only heard bits and pieces, but…

The pink haired girl's mind was whirling with thoughts. Neji had wanted her to go to Paris. With him. Her mind was muddled with thoughts, but the solution seemed so clear to her, as if a veil had been lifted from her eyes. She knew what she was going to do. Knew what she had to do, almost. Knew if she didn't do it, she would regret it the rest of her life.

As soon as Neji's request left his lips, she knew what her answer would be. She didn't have to think at all about it. She knew the answer, it had come crashing into her mind the moment that she heard his offer, rolling over her like the crashing waves of an ocean, chiming in her mind with such a forcefulness that Sakura could hardly form a reply.

_Yes, yes, yes…_

Sakura looked at Ino, her emerald orbs fierce and determined, as well as light and airy, as she spoke the words that she couldn't wait to have past her lips.

"I'm going to Paris."

* * *

_**End Chapter Eighteen.**_

_And there's chapter eighteen! This is the set up for what happens in the last couple of chapters. Let's see…I really hope you enjoyed this. I was so glad to get this chapter finished and I hope that y'all liked what you read, despite the fact that it could be mistaken as "filler", but apparently I think that about a lot of my chapters and reviewers tell me that it wasn't really filler, but yeah…_

_Anyway! I hope you decide to review with your opinions. It would mean a lot to hear what y'all think about this little fic of mine as it draws closer and closer to its end. _

_Thanks again!_


	19. Pretty in Paris

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Naruto._

_Alright, here's chapter nineteen! Shocking, I know. So close to twenty! It's amazing. Anyway…okay, thanks so much for your kind reviews. I appreciate them more than y'all know. Thanks so much for taking time out to review._

_Now, without any further delay, here's chapter nineteen!_

* * *

**Sketches  
****Chapter Nineteen: Pretty in Paris**

* * *

Her heart thudded unevenly, furiously within the confines of her chest.

Sakura searched the crowd for that tell-tale head of chestnut brown hair, the ivory eyes, anything to show her that he hadn't stood her up. Her hand were clenched around the handle of the bags that she held so tight her knuckles were white. She twisted her neck, flipping her hair over her shoulder and out of her face so she could get a better look.

"Sakura!"

She turned, her head moving in the direction of the voice that tugged her heart the way no other voice had ever done in her life.

And there he was.

Walking toward her with that same easy smile was Neji. The first time she had seen him in about four weeks since the wedding and already she was fighting the urge to rush into his arms and embrace him. Now that actually showing how she felt was an option, she had to fight even harder. She still thought that maybe it would be inappropriate to do so. His breakup with Tenten was still fresh, and she didn't know if he was still hurting over it or not…

Behind him were two other figures. She knitted her eyebrows together in confusion and squinted to get a better look.

One, with hair like a flame sticking atop his head, the other had a curtain of navy blue hair adorning her head.

Neji said something, but Sakura might as well have been deaf for all she heard. She looked from Neji to his cousin, and then to the red haired man in shock before uttering a name in a series of stuttering syllables, "Ga-_Gaara_?!"

The red haired youth looked at her with a slight mirth in his green eyes, "Sakura. Long time, no see."

Hinata looked at Sakura and then back to Gaara with a puzzled expression on her pretty features before saying, "Uh, hello to you, too."

"Hey, Hina." Sakura said, giving her a smile, "Is Gaara your new boyfriend?"

A coat of red that was the color of tomato soup covered the pale features of the Hyuuga relation. "N-No, this is just…he's one of Neji's close friends…we…we came to see you two off."

_With the way he's staring at you, that's only one part of his agenda, sweetie. _Sakura thought wryly, looking from Gaara to Hinata and then to Neji.

"You know Gaara?" Neji asked the inevitable question, looking into her emerald orbs as he did so. There was an edge of uncertainty to his question, as if he thought there used to be something between the two, which was not the case.

Sakura smiled gently at the artist and replied, "Yup. Gaara is my friend Temari's younger brother."

"What are the chances…" Neji trailed off, ivory getting lost within forest green.

Sakura shrugged, a grin playing upon her lips. Gaara growled slightly from his position beside the Hyuuga woman and started walking to the baggage area.

"Hasn't changed a bit." Sakura chimed, taking step behind him. Hinata and Neji immediately followed the two. Before she was able to put her bag on the conveyer belt to move into the plane, a strong hand clasped her two bags and put them there for her, along with his luggage as well. She looked up at Neji, her eyes filled with thanks for his kindness, and a smile tugged her lips once again, "Thank you."

"My pleasure."

Sakura looked into his eyes, and for a moment, she found herself getting lost in his gaze. He looked at her as if she were the only woman in the world, a woman that he cared about more than life itself. The very notion was enough to cause involuntary shivers to course throughout her body.

With a casual gesture, he took her hand. It was almost too casual, and it took Sakura aback. She was so used to being non-touchy with him, due to his girlfriend. This was definitely something she needed to get used to. She figured it would take a while before that happened, however.

"Let's get going, shall we?"

She felt her breath stop in her throat as his eyes smoldered at her.

With a slight nod of her head, the two walked to the entrance of the plane.

* * *

They arrived in Paris several hours later.

It was a long flight, taxing, and Sakura took a nap to try to pass the time. However, her seat was right beside the window, and most of the time she felt like looking out of the window, when her eyes weren't betraying her, that is, and she found herself gazing at Neji with barely concealed adoration.

They weren't an item. She knew that much. But the way he held her hand, the way he kept looking at her, the glint in his eyes…it made her think that maybe they weren't far off from becoming such.

Her mind was still whirling around in sickening circles.

At first, when she saw Hinata and Gaara at the airport, she thought that maybe Neji had invited somebody to come along with them. The thought had relieved her worries, but then they revealed that they were only there to see the two off. As soon as they made that admission, Sakura felt the butterflies flutter around in her stomach, hitting every nerve, it seemed.

She gulped as the pilot said they would be landing soon.

It wasn't as if she didn't want to be alone with Neji. She did, most definitely, but it was strange after all the secrecy, all the lies and everything that had gone down, that they could actually be around each other like this.

A few minutes passed and the plane landed without difficulty. Sakura rose from her seat to make her way out of the plane, and Neji followed her. She could feel the tension from before coming back, strangling her like a woolen blanket during the summer heat. She inhaled deeply and walked off the plane.

Neji walked after her, appreciating the view of her slim form in front of him, and then they walked to the bag collection area of the airport in Paris. A man welcomed them to Paris as they did so, his prominent French accent causing Sakura to giggle.

After collecting their bags, they walked toward the exit of the airport.

As they did so, Sakura felt Neji's lips press chastely against her cheek.

"Welcome to Paris, Sakura."

* * *

The hotel was a nice one, elegant and classy. Sakura was in utter awe of it as they entered the lobby, which had a high ceiling and very nice furnishings that made the pink haired girl look around in awe, like a child confronted with a large toy store for the first time ever. She would reach out and touch the delicate fixings, her finger trailing along the crystal of a lamp, the amazingly detailed sculptures, the edges of the paintings that were hung along the walls.

Neji walked up and retrieved their room keys. His eyes as he walked back were serious, and he handed her one and kept another one for himself. She cocked her head to the side and looked at him in wonder.

"There's one adjoining room, but it has two beds in separate rooms. Kind of like a mini-apartment." Neji said, his voice as serious as his face, "So…basically, we'll be sharing a room. But not technically, if you get what I'm saying."

Her face immediately flushed, turning a vibrant color of red against her porcelain cheeks. "Uh…right."

He reached out and pushed a strand of cotton candy colored hair behind her ear - she still found it weird that he was so touchy with her all of a sudden - and smiled at her as he gazed at her features with barely concealed admiration, "Right. Well, I guess we should find our room before the banquet starts."

Sakura nodded and they then went off to find their hotel room. _**Our **__hotel room. _The very thought of it caused a shudder to ripple down Sakura's spine at the many implications that could be made from it.

Neji and Sakura walked into the elevator and the brunette immediately pressed the button for the tenth floor. The elevator lurched upward, and stopped several times as it collected other random passengers on the way. Sakura found the panel of glowing buttons very interesting as she felt the familiar tingle on her neck that notified her when someone was staring at her.

And stare Neji did.

He still couldn't believe that they were here together. In Paris, one of the cities most linked to romance. All because of the simple fact that the pink haired girl had let him paint her portrait and send it to be displayed in a gallery. Here. It was like everything was right with the world at this moment. He was with the one girl he cared about more than anything, and his career might get the jump start it needed at the same time. His heart surged at the very thought of having everything he ever wanted. After all the strife they had encountered, he thought it was about time something had started to swing in his favor. But he wouldn't get too cocky, however. Who knew what could happen to make things fall the other way.

_Ding! _The sound of the elevator startled Neji out of his thoughts. He looked up and realized that they were on the floor that housed their accommodations. Smiling over at Sakura, who was currently as red as a cherry, he walked out of the door right after her, motioning for her to go first.

A slight laugh escaped her lips, and Neji immediately discovered it to be a nervous one. He wondered if he had been too forward with this, getting a connected room that was only separated by a singular door. He suddenly felt rotten, and he looked at Sakura, "Is the room a problem?"

She looked up from her position and gazed at Neji with wondering eyes as they walked down the hall, "What do you mean?"

Neji looked at her - he found himself doing that a lot these days - and gave her a smile, "I was wondering if it would be awkward for you to share a room…"

Sakura's eyes flickered with something he couldn't quite identify, but it passed quickly and she plastered a smile on her face, replying, "Technically, we're sleeping in two separate rooms, so it's okay…"

"True."

"Oh, and don't think you can eat all the food in the fridge without me knowing." Sakura cheekily stated, raising her index finger as if to make a point.

"I wouldn't dare." Neji replied, "Do you know how much that hotel charges for food in the fridge?"

"Otherwise…"

"Otherwise, your food would be gone by morning."

Sakura laughed, the sound of it loud and free and it caused a shiver to roll down the Hyuuga's spine at the sound of it. He had made her laugh so much already, and it was really something that he was proud of. He wanted to make her laugh even more, and maybe make her emit other sounds that made his spine tingle…

_No, not like that, Hyuuga. Don't think like that. Not yet. _Though the thought of Sakura being intimate with him was something that he had fantasized about many times, and those thoughts had manifested themselves somewhat in the middle of a garden that fateful night weeks ago, he wasn't sure if he could…if he could actually go through it. Maybe he had been so jaded before, his transgressions so great that Sakura didn't want to be like that with him. Maybe she just came to appease him, to support him. After all, she was the subject of the portrait being displayed.

Still, he couldn't rid the thoughts from his mind. The thoughts of her underneath him, writhing and moaning in ecstasy, calling out his name in pure pleasure, permeated his mind, threatening to consume him.

They finally arrived at their accommodations, and Neji unlocked the door that led into the room. They were faced with a rather beautifully done, elegant room, with dark walls that were paneled with mahogany wood, rich, cream colored carpeting, and a kitchen area that gave way to the large, spacious living room that was filled with what was, no doubt, expensive, lush furniture. Stools were seated at the counter, overlooking the kitchen area, and were made of the same wood the walls were lined with. An entire wall was made up of windows, and the glass was covered by very thin, airy curtains, looking out onto the streets of the Parisian surroundings that were still very unfamiliar to the two youths.

"Wow…" Sakura said, her voice filled with admiration and a tinge of innocence, and the brunette Hyuuga wondered if she had ever been out of Japan in her life. "Did they pay for this?"

Neji nodded, "Yes," He replied, "they did. The artists featured got their trips and board paid for."

"Lucky you."

"Now I am."

Sakura looked up, her emerald eyes connecting with those all-too familiar ivory orbs. A feeling of tension crackled between the two of them, and she wondered if it was as noticeable to him as it was to her. She could practically taste it building in the air, and she started to wonder how she would ever live with him for the next week.

She swallowed and walked further into the room, searching for the rooms that they would be sleeping in. She wished that she would indeed find two beds, so she would avoid any awkward encounters, but then again, another, more devious part of her, nudged in her that she wouldn't mind too much if Neji's body was pressed flush against hers during the night…

Shaking her head furiously to rid herself of those thoughts, she walked into the hall and saw that there were, in fact, two bedrooms. Each of them had a queen-sized bed decked out with pure white sheets. They were pretty much identical, with dark wood furniture, but no windows. There were flowers and whatnot, the occasional abstract painting classily mounted on the wall, and the smell of clean, fresh flowers surrounded them.

"I'll take the bed on the end…" She trailed off, "if that's okay, that is." She pointed to the bedroom furthest away from the living room, one that punctuated the end of the hall. The bedroom that they were standing across from was angled so it was directly across from the only bathroom in the hotel room.

"Yeah, that's fine," Neji said, obviously not having any problems with allowing Sakura her choice of room first. "no worries."

Sakura turned her head in his direction, "Thanks."

She moved to pick up her belongings from beside her feet, but found them already gone, and Neji walking into the room in front of her, her suitcases in hand. "Neji, you - "

"Trying to make a good impression." He called as he sat the suitcases onto the springy, soft mattress of the bed. At least he was in good humor, a far cry from the angst-ridden experiences that they had shared together.

_You've already made an impression on me, Neji. _Sakura thought, clenching a fist to her chest as if to tame her wildly beating heart, _You just don't know how much._

"There…" Neji said, walking back toward Sakura, who was still deep in thought. It was quiet for a moment before he spoke again, whilst trying not to dwell on the images that his mind kept conjuring up - Sakura pressed against the brick wall surrounding the garden, her name clouding his thoughts as he kissed her senseless, his erection straining against his pants, aching for release as it brushed against the sensitive spot between her legs…

He fought back a groan that threatened to overwhelm him, biting his bottom lip to the point of pain to focus the feeling away from his groin, that was suddenly a bit too active as he thought about the pink haired goddess, pressed so tightly against him.

Looking at the clock that was hung on the wall, he sighed, "We don't have long to get ready until the banquet." The banquet for the portraits and artists that were showcased in the gallery was the first day that they had arrived in Paris, which was a good thing as far as Neji was concerned. Better to get it over with than to have to wait for a strikingly long time until he had to go. Not to mention, he was nervous, and it was better on his mind as well as his stomach that they would go early, since he already was a bundle of shaking nerves as it stood.

"Yeah…" Sakura agreed, "Uh…do you want to take a bath first or…I mean…" Her face became flushed with embarrassment, as if the very notion of Neji in the shower was threatening to overload her brain.

Neji noticed, and he felt a tinge of relief well within him, to know that Sakura was also having those images in her head was something that soothed him. As strange as it was, it made him feel better that he wasn't the only one experiencing the suffocating shroud of tension that seemed to envelop them whenever they were together.

"Ladies first…" Neji offered, motioning to the open door of the rather lavish bathroom.

Sakura giggled slightly before walking into her room to get her bathroom essentials before taking her shower. He watched her walk away, his eyes lingering on the swell of her hips and the curve of her breasts as she turned sideways to unpack several things from her bag. Feeling his eyes on her, she looked up, and they connected. The crackle of tension sounded between them, and the force of it may as well have been deafening for all the good it did for them.

The pink haired girl felt a curl of desire sweep through her lower stomach and make its way downward, leaving her with a feeling of utter longing and want. Ache resounded deep in her being, in her core, and she felt lower body tighten with the lust that saturated the air around them.

She looked down at what she was wearing - it was a simple, loose t-shirt as well as a pair of baggy khaki pants that hardly showed off anything, hung off her form limply, and didn't showcase her at all, but he was looking at her as if she were naked, almost like he did before he kissed her in the garden…

She tore her eyes away, not wanting that to happen. Not yet, at least.

Though she had heard the various declarations from people close to him - from Tenten (his ex-girlfriend) and from Hinata (his own cousin) - saying that he loved her, she still had yet to hear it from the horse's mouth. She didn't know if it was all just a lie, produced by other people's thoughts on the situation, or if it was actually genuine.

She knew what she felt for him was the real deal, however.

Gathering her things, she walked over to the bathroom before daring a look up at him, his eyes had not left her form in that minute amount of time. She shut the door, leaving Neji to stand in the hall, looking out of place and awkward.

Shaking his head to rid himself of the thoughts that had invaded his mind as he watched her saunter to her room, in that infuriatingly baggy ensemble that made him want to see what was beneath it, what she was hiding - and he knew, for he had painted her, but it seemed that he could not get enough of seeing that particular person naked at his disposal.

And he knew that, no matter what happened, he would never get that image of her out of his head. He also knew that no other woman could compare to Sakura. They couldn't even come close to the glory that he had felt well within him when he saw her nude form, when he painted her, when he kissed her so suggestively…

Groaning at his own misfortune, he ventured into the bedroom across from the bathroom where he could hear the rushing water of the shower start to turn on, and the hiss that emitted from her lips as Sakura stepped into the steaming spray, no doubt she had gotten it too hot, but had gone ahead anyway.

He lounged on his bed, the fluffy bedspread comforting his aching joints, trying not to picture the very alluring Sakura naked and wet in the shower, and sighed in exhaustion. The jet lag was something he was sure that he would never get used to. Even though this was his first time traveling, he was not enjoying the first time that he had been exhausted by different time zones.

Reaching over, he grabbed a remote and turned on the television, which was a plasma flat screen. _At least all of this is paid for. I'd have to sell an arm, leg, and several organs on the black market just to get enough for one night in this place. _He thought as a familiar sitcom theme came on the television, only in French.

"Well, that certainly slipped my mind." He murmured to himself as he kicked off his shoes, letting them fall carelessly at the foot of his bed. He had totally forgotten for a minute that they were indeed in a different country, and most of the television channels would be, naturally, in the native language.

He left the television on and went to pick up his own suitcases that were still at the front door. Bringing them back, he flung them on the polished wooden chest that was situated at the foot of the bed. Then, he flopped down on the bed and continued to listen to the French-dubbed sitcom. Though the foreign language was drowned out and he found himself more interested in the pounding of the shower spray in the room adjacent to him, more specifically, the person he knew was underneath the water.

He closed his eyes and tried to rid the image from his brain, like he had so many times before, but he only found the picture becoming more and more vivid in his mind, something that he felt increasingly embarrassed about. He could feel his member react to his thoughts - a naked Sakura, her body wet and dripping - and cringed in discomfort as it started to press against the confines of his jeans.

"_Damn…it._" He growled gutturally, deep in his throat, almost as a plea for the torture to stop, but he knew it wouldn't. Not until he actually _had _her would it stop. Even then, he wasn't sure that the tension between them would decrease. Hell, it may increase.

He was so close to just slipping his hand beneath his pants and relieving himself then and there, but then the door to the bathroom opened.

Instinctively, his head turned to the source of the sound, and he found himself wishing that he hadn't, for what he saw only caused his frustration to become even worse than before.

Sakura stood in the door, a white cotton towel wrapped around her body, covering her breasts and stopping just underneath her bottom, barely keeping her modesty in check. Her carnation colored locks were wet and slightly disheveled, looking as if she had dried her hair slightly with the towel before she had emerged from the bathroom. Water dripped steadily from her locks and his eye caught a droplet as if fell from the tip of one of the strands to roll across her visible collarbone and into the hollow of her throat.

His breath caught in his throat as he stared at the breathtaking spectacle that had presented itself before him.

Her eyes were wide, doe-like in appearance, as she stared ahead, connecting her eyes with his. To make matters even worse, she pulled her plump bottom lip into her mouth and bit down, causing Neji to just about lose whatever was left of his self-control. Her eyes were darkened to a deep forest green with what he could only debunk as desire, and he felt his stomach twist in eager anticipation.

He didn't know what caused him to stay on his bed, laying there, his throbbing erection pressing uncomfortably against the fabric of his jeans, but he something inside him told him to not move from his spot. If he did, the moment would be ruined. He felt like she wasn't ready for that. Not just yet.

_Wait…wait, Hyuuga. Give it time. You've waited this long, you can wait just a bit longer. _A voice inside him whispered gently, nudging him to stay his place in the bed. And he complied with that stupid, nagging voice in the back of his skull, throbbing in time with the beats of his frantic heart.

Sakura seemed to sense his dilemma, for she didn't move, as if allowing him more time to fight with himself internally. Every second that went by and she didn't move, Neji had to clench the bed sheets with shaking hands to keep himself stationary. Her eyes seemed to get wider and wider, and a crimson blush coated her cheeks, staining her porcelain skin a scarlet hue. Her grip on the top of her towel loosened some, and the terry cotton slipped ever-so slightly, showing the curves of the sides of her breasts.

"S-Sorry…" She murmured, and if Neji hadn't been so enraptured by her, he wouldn't have heard anything. With that stuttered word, she fled to her bedroom, her long legs pumping quickly to get her there, but as she did so, the infuriatingly short towel rode up her legs, revealing the creamy white skin of her buttocks to his eyes before she was gone completely.

He heard the gentle, yet abrupt closing of the door and he knew the moment had passed.

It wasn't the time. Though the tension had been there, thick as it had ever been, maybe even more oppressive than the last time he had been in a situation as uncomfortable as that, it wasn't the time. Something inside him told him he should wait, though he cursed that part of him, he knew that it was right. Last time he ignored that voice, he ended up ravaging her in the garden, and then…

But didn't that turn out for the better? They were now free to act upon their feelings, with no previous bonds to other people. But what was the hold up? Why did he not just ignore the feelings of chivalry and take her?

_This girl is special…you must take your time. You will know when it's right. _The thought came to him again, reasonable yet firm, nudging him in the right direction when all of his male instincts told him to burst down the door and take her right then and there.

He decided to listen to the voice, as always.

Besides, he had to get ready for the gallery tonight.

So, with a new, steely determination in his gut to not mess things up when they were finally perfect, he made his way into the bathroom to take a shower.

Of all the things Neji was unsure of, he knew one that was certain.

That shower better be a cold one.

* * *

_**End Chapter Nineteen.**_

_Okay! That's the end of chapter nineteen. I ended it on a rather light note. As you notice, now that the whole Tenten situation and everything is out of the way, it's gotten considerably lighter and more…(sexual) tension filled._

_But yes, I am afraid that the next chapter will be the last. It's where everything comes together and I will give you one clue to keep y'all interested: Yes, there will be smut. Or my version of smut. I dunno… Anyway! I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions! _

_Thanks again!_


	20. Irrevocably

_**Disclaimer:** __I don't own Naruto._

_Okay, well, here this is. The final chapter in this fic of mine. It seemed to have taken such a long time for it to get this far, but here we are. At the very last chapter. It's hard to believe, but here we are. Haha. I'm so glad, so grateful for all of the kind and supportive reviews people have written regarding this fic. Y'all have no idea how much it means to write something and have it supported so much. Thanks so much! To each and every one of you, thanks! I hope you enjoy this final chapter. I didn't think I would be sad that this fic was done, but I am more than I thought I would be. But I am glad at the same time. This little bugger has been pestering me to finish it, and here it is! Completed. With 20 chapters, my longest fic ever. So far. Lol. _

_Also, I must note that this chapter is definitely what made this fic have a M rating. So if you don't like this kind of stuff, then navigate away. Or skip it. I dunno. The smut itself isn't going to be that bad. It's not like some of the other fics I've read on here. It's more tame, since I'm not really used to writing hard core lovin'. Lol. _

_This chapter is incredibly long. Microsoft Word says it's at 15 pages (which is long for my standards), so grab a cup of hot cocoa and a blanket, sit back, relax, and enjoy the final chapter of Sketches. (insert smiley face here)_

* * *

**Sketches  
Chapter Twenty: Irrevocably**

* * *

She picked the red dress.

Red was her favorite color, after all. And Ino had once told her that this dress made her look like a movie star. Though she wondered what that exactly entailed coming from her blonde best friend, she figured she'd test the waters with it tonight.

No one had seen it on her except Ino - and maybe Naruto, but that was when he had barged in on her while she was trying it on. She also wanted Neji to be the one person she tested it out on. It was as silly thought, as well as something that she was certain might get her into a situation that she wouldn't want to get out of, but she had to try something.

She twirled slightly in front of the mirror, feeling silly for doing so. She'd often seen Ino or Temari do the same thing, to show off a dress. Though with Ino it was a serious gesture, and for Temari it was a mocking of Ino's girlish habits. The loose red fabric of the dress billowed around her legs and waist, flowing out to spin around her like a carousel.

The dress was a simple one, but beautiful nonetheless. It was a deep crimson in color, and the fabric was airy and light. The neckline was a deep V and plunged just slightly enough to show off the tiniest bit of cleavage. It was classy, but still sexy at the same time. It was a long dress, the silky fabric looking like water where it fell off of her frame. The fabric was tight around her bust and waist, but flowed outward airily when she turned.

_Well, I suppose I look good. _She thought to herself, smiling in the mirror. She twirled a lock of pink hair in her fingers. She had it lightly curled at the ends, but otherwise, it was left down.

Emerald eyes glanced up to the clock and saw that they had only ten minutes to leave unless they wanted to be late to the gallery. Sighing, she made her way into the living room portion of the hotel room and looked around. The artist was no where in sight, and groaning, she sat down on a plush, expensive looking chair.

The ticking of the clock seemed to be getting louder and louder every second she waited for the Hyuuga to emerge from his room, and she found herself leaning forward, elbows resting on her thighs and chin in her hands in a not-so-ladylike pose. Her stomach was twisting in a nervous knot, her heart hammering away in her chest. For reasons she had yet to decipher, she was actually _nervous_.

She sighed and looked toward Neji's door, as if willing him to be ready.

_Funny that he takes longer to get ready that I do. _She thought as a chuckle vibrated her throat.

Sakura rose from her seat, unable to keep a stationary position for long, and walked over to the kitchen. She retrieved a glass from the cabinet and filled it with water from the faucet. Drinking deeply, she closed her eyes and relished the crystal clear taste of the liquid as it rolled down her throat.

"Nervous?"

The voice startled her out of her pleasant reverie, and she almost spit out whatever drink she had left in her mouth. Turning around, she was face to face with the exact reason she was in a strange, yet beautiful city, feeling so many butterflies in her stomach it was a shock that they didn't emerge when she opened her mouth. "Maybe."

Neji smiled at her, a smile so tender, so heartfelt, that she felt her own heart start to pump frantically beneath her chest bone, hammering away as if to beat away the cage that contained it. He didn't wear a suit this time, opting for a more casual attire that consisted of a white button down shirt and a pair of black dress pants. The shirt was slightly unbuttoned and showed just a bit of his collarbone. His hair was fixed as usual, the loose strands that were free from his ponytail fell in his face casually.

He seemed equally as awestruck by her appearance as well, ivory orbs lingered on every small detail of her as she stood in front of him. She moved around the counter, walking slowly, as to not topple over in her gold heels, and strode up to him, smiling gently as she did so.

"You look kind of nervous yourself." Sakura teased, her voice lilting and light, trying to ease the strangeness between them.

"Yes," Neji said, trying to force himself to relax when every male instinct in his body was urging him to ravish this woman, "but I'm not sure if it's for the reason you think."

Sakura laughed, a nervous tinge to her voice, but she walked past him, trying to be as graceful as possible. She grabbed her coat that was hanging limply off of the back of the couch and slung it around her shoulders. It was black and loose around her form, but warm nonetheless.

Neji smiled as he watched her fiddle with the buttons as he stepped forward, his own jacket in his hands. It was a tux jacket, matching the pants perfectly, and tailored to fit his body.

She grabbed a golden handbag that was latched on the coat hanger beside the door and Neji walked in front of her, opening the intricately designed mahogany door for her, letting her out before him.

"Thank you." Sakura said gratefully, her emerald orbs showing all the gratitude she felt.

Neji only smiled, trying to ignore the feeling of utter fire that consumed him as her forest green eyes stared so intently into his, hanging on his every word, every movement.

She walked out of the door, past him, and Neji could smell the scent of her freshly washed hair. Lavender and some subtle flower he couldn't name. He inhaled greedily, wanting to commit that to memory if tonight ended badly.

Inhaling deeply, he then followed Sakura out the door, bracing himself for what was to come.

* * *

Arriving at the gallery was something that completely overwhelmed the both of them. Sakura showed her awe, however, while Neji tried to keep his cool and not look like he had never seen something like this before - which he hadn't.

The gallery was larger than anything either of them had ever seen. People were everywhere. Apparently famous, considering the large amount of photography going on as people exited their vehicles and limos and whatnot. There were people calling out to some of the Parisian stars and the sound was deafening.

The pink haired girl was taken aback by all of the goings on, but she just stuck close to Neji's side, scared of what would happen if they were separated. She didn't think she could get back to their car if they lost each other. The place was so big, so spacious, it would be very easy to get lost among the shouting fans and the camera flashes and the famous faces that Sakura had never seen in her life.

Neji's arm was like a protective steel bar around her waist, holding her close, but not too close that she was uncomfortable. The very contact of his skin with hers caused her body heat to skyrocket, and a familiar warmth pool in her stomach and make its way downward. She shook her head slightly, trying to rid herself of the feeling, and walked forward.

"Shutterbugs hurting your eyes?"

She laughed at Neji's question as she looked up at him, her eyes soft and warm, "No, not at all."

The way she said that, the slight inflection of her voice, caused a shiver to curl down his spine. Somehow, he knew what she was talking about, but his mind caused him to focus it elsewhere, because that kind of energy wasn't something he needed to exude at his very first showcase in a famous gallery. Also, the little voice perked up in his mind and told him vehemently that she could mean something else entirely. Maybe it was his one-track mind that kept getting things skewed instead of Sakura's.

Finally, they stepped into the building where the gallery would take place.

The building was large, with a high ceiling and beautiful, arching doorways, spiral staircases that led upstairs to who knows what, and a chandelier right in the middle of the main room. It was even more lavish and luxurious than their hotel room, and Sakura was immediately in awe. Again.

It was surprising how much a building could make Sakura feel like she was in the midst of something great - which, by hers and Neji's standards, she was - and she couldn't help her eyes from glancing everywhere in curiosity. The two just stood in the main lobby portion of the large building, glancing about, watching people with their dates walk into and start to disperse into the various places of the building, no doubt looking for what they came here for. By the time the clock reached eight, two doormen stepped forward and closed the large, heavy oak doors, locking them.

"Is this a trap?" Sakura joked, looking up at Neji's face with a smirk, "I bet it's like one of those movies where this crazy madman traps a bunch of strangers and forces them to kill each other…"

"What kind of movies do you _watch_?" Neji asked, amused, as his arm found its way around her shoulders.

Sakura only laughed, the sound light and airy in the midst of the constant hum of voices.

Neji smiled at her and said, in reference to her earlier question, "Apparently, this is a big deal in the art world. Locking down just before it's about to start is a sign that things could be stolen. Security is on high watch."

"Damn! There go my plans."

Neji laughed as he maneuvered them into the main room, where all the paintings were displayed in their full glory. His ivory eyes roamed over each painting before settling on the one that had got him here. The one that had made all of this possible. He felt a surge of pride build itself in his chest as he gazed at it, a smile starting to form on his lips. He looked down at Sakura and saw her cheeks redden with embarrassment.

The picture looked just as beautiful as it did when it was first painted. Sakura's emerald eyes and carnation colored hair were a stand out among the other nudes, most of whom were either brunettes or the typical blonde. Sakura felt herself suddenly becoming self-conscious. She had forgotten that having this painting displayed would mean that many people would, technically, see her naked.

Neji stared up, his ivory eyes unwavering, as he looked at his work, which he considered his finest. Smiling, he took the hand that was around his date's shoulders and played with the slight curls that adorned her head.

Sakura reached out and touched the thick, delicately carved, frame that incased the painting of her. Her pale fingers traced the details and as she looked up, she felt an immense sense of pride. She had helped Neji achieve his dream of having a painting displayed in a famous gallery. Because of this, his name would be on the map. She felt her heart swell and tears form in her eyes. She pushed them away, not wanting to seem like an overly emotional wreck.

The brunette Hyuuga looked at her and smiled, loving the reaction he was getting from her at this moment.

Their small moment of reflection was broken by a man in his late thirties walking up to them with a smile on his face. Wire rimmed glasses adorned his nose and he pushed them up with his middle finger before he addressed them, "Hyuuga Neji from Japan. A fellow countryman."

Neji started and looked at the bespectacled man, his eyes wide, "Oh…my." He said, completely struck with amazement, "Shibuki Yue."

Sakura looked from the man suddenly identified as Yue to Neji and back again, the confusion growing in her eyes. _Wow…he must be important if he caused Neji to drop what he was doing…_

Neji shot out his hand, immediately taking the one that Yue had offered him with his own, enveloping the elder man's hand with care and reverence. "It is truly an honor, Shibuki-san."

Blinking, the carnation haired girl looked at the clasped hands and then up to Yue's face. His cerulean colored eyes were focused on her face, which was red with leftover embarrassment over her painting, and also red with embarrassment over not knowing who exactly this person was.

After his hand left Neji's, he moved forward to take Sakura's hand in his, delicately, and brought his lips to press against the top of it. "_Bonjour_, I guess I should say. As Neji so blatantly said, my name is Shibuki Yue."

A blush streaked Sakura's cheeks, making them even redder than before, "N-Nice to meet you, Shibuki-san. I'm Haruno Sakura."

"Please," He said, his voice like velvet, "I'm not a fan of formalities. Just call me Yue." He moved his eyes to Neji, "That goes for you, too, newbie."

"O…Okay, Yue." Sakura said, smiling.

Neji laughed at his title 'newbie' and just shrugged, "I was just trying to show respect for the best painter in Japan."

Sakura gasped, looking at Yue with wonder in her eyes, "Really?"

Yue looked at her, his eyes humble but a smile was on his lips, "He flatters me. That's what people say, though. And most people cannot ignore the media and what said media perceive as greatness."

Sakura looked at him, intrigued. This man was definitely interesting. Maybe the only other person from Japan here, and she was glad that he had made a point of talking to Neji. Maybe they would become friends and he could help him in the industry.

"I was just walking by and saw you two," Yue started, his eyes now focused on the painting of Sakura on the wall in front of them, "this painting has received the most buzz out of all of the ones here, and I was eager to meet the artist as well as the subject."

Neji looked genuinely flustered, and Sakura thought that this man must be a very important figure to him if his very words could cause Neji to become humbled.

"Everyone's saying you will be the new 'it' boy because of this," Yue continued, his gaze staying steadily focused on the painting, "and I can't help but agree. This painting is gorgeous and you can tell it was painted with such _emotion_. It's quite inspiring."

"Thank you, sir." Neji said, his voice calm and trying not to break from the excitement he felt. Obviously being praised by Yue was something not a lot of people had the honor of receiving.

Yue just smiled and reached into the pocket of his coat, getting a piece of paper and handing it to him, "Here. My card. Feel free to call anytime. For pointers, or if you just want to talk. I'll most certainly listen to someone with as much _talent _as you. I'm surprised you've gone unnoticed until now."

"That's - just, thank you!" Neji exclaimed, obviously unable to keep his enthusiasm under wraps any longer, "Thank you so much."

"No problem. Always glad to help artists with actual talent get off the ground and make a name for themselves." Yue said, turning from them, "I expect to hear from you."

"Of course, sir!"

With that, Yue left the two to revel over what happened. Neji was holding the card with his number on it with particular reverence, as if it were something holy, and he glanced at Sakura, "I cannot _believe _that just happened!"

Sakura felt herself grinning ear to ear, just by witnessing the extent of the Hyuuga's happiness. "I'm so happy for you, Neji!"

She threw her arms around him, and pressed him close to her form, laughing as Neji slightly stiffened. It wasn't enough for her to notice, but Neji could feel his muscles tense as the pretty girl enveloped him in an embrace. It was only for a second, however, because then he loosened up and hugged her back.

In her glee for his advances in his career, she didn't even think when she lifted herself to press her lips against his.

Neji's eyes widened out of their sockets. He didn't think that she'd be the one who broke the ice first, even if it was unintentional. He felt her lips working against his and he kissed back. The kiss itself was slow, but had an underlying current of what was to come.

Sakura pulled away first, her eyes downcast and her face red and flustered, this time it was not from embarrassment, "Sorry."

Neji wasn't going to have any of that, and he ducked his head, kissing Sakura's lips as if to shut her up, "Don't be sorry." He murmured against her lips.

Pulling away slowly, her eyes half-lidded, but tinged with a slight surprise, she said with a joking nature, "I'll keep being sorry if you kiss me like that again."

Neji didn't reply. His heart was pounding furiously in his chest at her words. She didn't even have to be "sorry" for him to want to kiss her like that. She was looking at him, and the want in her eyes was apparent, even to him. He supposed she had been just as riled up as he had from being in the same space with her, and that the simple kisses they had just shared had stirred everything up.

Waiting, like the small voice in the back of his head had suggested, had caused the tension to become almost unbearable. The fact that he now knew that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her was a comforting thing that allowed him to do what he did next without any regrets.

Taking his thumb and tracing the outline of her lips, he brought his lips to her ear.

"Soon." was all he muttered.

* * *

The nervous coil in Sakura's stomach seemed to be winding and unwinding as the car moved on, filling her with tortuous anxiety.

The banquet went off without a hitch. Everything was overwhelming. Everyone talked to her and Neji, complimenting both Neji on his work and Sakura on her…well, what he had painted of her. But all Sakura could think about was the simple word Neji uttered just minutes into the banquet. It had been on repeat in her head like a sick carousel, rotating around and around, filling her head with images and things that she should not be thinking in a crowded room, causing her to ache with barely suppressed want.

"_Soon."_

She looked over at Neji, who was glancing out of the window of their car. Her heart sped up as the reflection of his eyes in the glass looked over at her, piercing through her with a desire that Sakura had never before seen in her life.

She had only been with one man in her life. Sasuke, unfortunately. And while had looked at her with kind eyes and a smile, he had never really looked at her like Neji was looking at her now. With pure, unadulterated passion, adoration, and lust. He wanted her, and the fact that she knew that was a bit unsettling.

"_Soon."_ The voice in the back of her head repeated.

_But how soon? _Sakura said, as an ache settled itself in the bit of her stomach. She found herself surprisingly anxious, nervous, and aroused all at the same time. She had also never felt this with anyone else.

The car pulled up to the hotel.

Neji got out of the car first, and motioned for her to wait for a minute. Seconds later, he was opening the door for her, helping her out of the expensive car that had chauffeured them to the banquet and back. His fingers brushed her heated skin and she felt goosebumps form on her flesh. She tried to calm her breathing, to make it not so audible to his ears, and then she sighed, the breath she let out making a mist in front of her face.

They entered the rotating doors and walked to the elevator. She looked at Neji, who was obviously trying his hardest to control himself.

But she didn't want control. Not now. Not when she was absolutely positive that she loved him.

_Love?_

_Of course. _She could think of no other word that could accurately describe what she felt for Neji. And she knew that this was what she wanted. More than anything she wanted _him_. All of him. No reservations, no pulling punches.

_I want him._

So, as soon as the doors shut, she gathered her resolve and turned to face him, her eyes boring holes into his own. The ache had intensified to where it was almost unbearable. The look in her eyes seemed to trigger something deep inside Neji, for he launched himself forward, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her tight against his body. Sakura groaned at the instant contact, something she had been craving all night.

His lips found hers in an instant and they were wrapped up in each other.

_**So **__glad we were the only ones in the elevator. _Sakura mused blissfully as her mouth worked in a fevered manner against his.

Neji moved his hand to cup the side of her face as he kissed her plump lips. She breathed into his mouth as she felt his budding erection graze her. "Neji…" She moaned as he fisted his hand in her hair, bringing her closer, if that was even possible.

_Ding! _Went the elevator, but the fact that the sound resonated was lost among the two.

Neji was the one who found the will to move forward, gently guiding Sakura forward, while her back was to whatever was in front of him. She was stumbling slightly, so Neji brought his hand under the crook of her knee to hitch herself around him, so he could carry her without her falling. The resulting friction of her legs wrapped around his waist caused him to almost growl with the intense pleasure that it resulted from.

Eventually, _finally_, they made it to their room. Neji fumbled around for his key while Sakura kissed his neck, nipping and licking the exposed flesh, causing Neji to contemplate taking her right there in the hallway.

Fortunately for him and any other people that would possibly walk by, the key unlocked the door and the two stumbled in, barely able to contain themselves.

Neji slammed the door with his foot, and the action almost made the walls rumble with the force of it. Sakura held herself against him, her legs wrapped as tightly as they could around Neji's waist as her fingers found the fabric of his jacket and pulled, relieving him of the pesky clothing. He kicked his shoes off, as well as his socks, leaving them in a pile beside the couch.

The tailored jacket fell to the floor, pooled around his feet as he stumbled forward, pressing her lower back against the back of the couch as she fiddled with the buttons of his shirt. He worked on her jacket, discarding it and throwing it to the floor as well.

She finally got his shirt off and stared in rapt fascination with the taut muscles of his chest. She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his chest bone, right between his pectoral muscles. Her lips against his body were heaven, even in just a slight display of affection, and he felt his mouth curve into a smile.

His hands lifted and moved to the back of her dress, where the halter of her dress was connected, holding it to her body. He moved the clasp, and slowly he moved the top of the dress down, exposing her chest to him fully. A breath of frustration escaped his lips and he dove his head down into the valley of her breasts, kissing her between her breasts, as well as licking and suckling on the bud of her nipple, while he palmed the other in his hand with care. Sakura arched her back as his hands roamed over her body. "_Neji_." She breathed, fascinated with the way he made her feel.

He moved his attention to her face, his ivory eyes caring and intimate. He moved his hand to the back of her dress, finding the zipper and pulling it down. She moved herself to get out of the crimson fabric. Now she was fully exposed to him, the only barrier between him and her was her panties, wet with her arousal, and his clothes, which she had yet to get off.

Neji stopped pinning her to the back of the couch and she adjusted herself against him, her womanhood brushing his erection in all the right places and he groaned, desperately trying to get a hold of himself. "God…Sakura."

Sakura was panting, out of breath, but feeling amazing as she shifted herself against the clothed erection. She could only imagine what it would feel like once they were both fully exposed to one another.

Neji carried Sakura into his bedroom, kissing her neck and making small bites along her collarbone as he did so. Sakura arched her back and pressed her hands against his chest, nails slightly scraping as she did so.

He barreled into the bedroom, unmistakable want and lust on his face as he pushed Sakura gently into the mattress that had yet to be slept in. Both of her legs were still on either side of his waist, her panties soaked through with her arousal. He watched as her gaze moved to his pants and she found her slender hands moving to unbuckle the belt from his waist, then tossing it to the side.

She then worked on the zipper, and the knowledge that her hands were _so close _to his manhood caused a pleasurable shiver to roll down his spine. She unbuttoned the top, her fingers trembling slightly, and Neji reached down to help her, smiling all the while. As soon as he got the pants undone, Sakura's hands were on the waistband, moving the pants downward so there was one less barrier between them.

Neji kicked his pants off of his ankles, and heard a satisfying thud as they landed on the floor below them. His boxers were less confining than the pants, but still, there was too much keeping them from each other, it seemed. He noticed her shoes were still on, and with either hand he grasped each shoe and pulled them off delicately, tossing them to the floor.

Neji planted a kiss to her breast before her hands moved to grab the elastic waistband of his boxers. With several pulls, they were discarded, and Neji was left naked before her. Her breathing started to become erratic, rushing out of her throat in desperate gasps as she looked at the appealing naked man that was hovering atop her.

His hands moved to grasp the dainty waistband of her panties, fingertips delicately brushing against the sensitive flesh of her stomach, then pulled them down, slowly, deliberately. She bucked her hips into his hands as they hovered over her womanhood teasingly.

"Easy…" He muttered in a voice like liquid fire, though he wanted to be inside her much more than anything he had ever experienced in his life.

"_Neji_…" She moaned in that voice of hers. The one that caused chills to race over his arms and all the blood to move straight to his manhood, causing his erection to become that more painful and needing release. "_Please_."

Neji moaned at her voice, his thickness throbbing with those words she had just groaned at him. He could hardly contain himself. He adjusted themselves, moving her to lay normally, her head at the headboard of the bed, and he hissed out a groan as his length brushed against her womanhood. She did the same, her fingers twining in the sheets as he brushed the outside of her. Neji stopped himself and reached into the nightstand, grabbing a condom, and quickly rolling it onto his member.

Sakura looked at him in wonder, "You…came prepared."

"Always." He smiled at her before he captured her lips with his. Her hands came to rest on his shoulders and she looked him in the eyes. "Are you…sure you…want this?" Neji said, in between kisses.

Pulling away, Sakura simply stated, "I want _you_."

Smiling, Neji kissed her again, holding her lips as he adjusted himself over her entrance. Slowly, he slipped into her, feeling her tightness as she adjusted to fit him. She arched her back, tears coming into her eyes at the pressure of it. He was much larger than Sasuke, and it was straining against her to hold him.

"It's okay…tell me if I'm hurting you." Neji murmured against her lips. She nodded, but kissed back.

He was fully inside her, and his head was reeling. His pressed his mouth against her neck and breathed. She shifted slightly, trying to ebb away the pain, and then the pleasure hit. "I'm okay, Neji." She said, bringing her legs to wrap around his waist and pulling him even tighter against her.

"I'm glad." He breathed against the column of her neck, then he groaned as he brought himself out, then pushed back into her walls. He repeated this process, gaining a rhythm that caused Sakura to chant his name and grasp his back, moaning and writhing beneath him as he continued the motions.

Neji grunted as he filled her up, then pulled out, his motions becoming faster and faster when he was sure Sakura could handle it. The minutes drew longer and longer and she was nearing her release, he knew, and so was he. With one final push inside of her, she came, crying out his name as she felt ecstasy overcome her. He wasn't far behind, breathing her name across his lips as climaxed and fell atop her, exhausted but completely satisfied.

Her breasts were pressed firmly against his chest, and he was panting heavily, as was she. He pulled out of her and rolled over, separating themselves for just a moment to get rid of the condom. Then he curled beside her, his arm wrapping around her thin form, soaked with sweat and smelling like sex and _him_.

He nuzzled his head against her neck and breathed in her scent, the smell of lavender was still there, and it clouded his senses. Planting a kiss on her pulse point, he smiled, his lips molding around the curve of her neck.

Sakura's eyes were closed, her breathing even and heavy all at the same time. She rolled over onto her side to face Neji, feeling the beginnings of slumber taking over. She felt Neji wrapping an arm around her waist, and a feeling bubbled inside her. She was so happy that a full blown grin was threatening to emerge on her cheeks, just as she was about to go to sleep.

She felt Neji pull her closer and kiss her lips, "Goodnight, Sakura."

She opened her lids slightly, and smiled, "Goodnight, Neji."

After saying those words, she felt her lids shut like iron doors and sleep overcame her.

* * *

Rays of sunlight peered through the blinds, waking Sakura immediately

She felt her mouth contract into a yawn, a slight one, and she looked at Neji, who had opened his eyes and was staring at her.

"Hey." was all he said.

"Hey." She repeated, suddenly feeling shy and vulnerable underneath his stare. "Did I wake you?"

"No," He admitted, his eyes not leaving hers. "I was up for a while. Just waiting for you."

"Oh…" Sakura felt her cheeks color crimson, "Thanks, I guess." She laughed, "What time is it, anyway?"

"Almost nine." Neji said simply, his eyes moving to the clock situated on the nightstand behind Sakura. "But we don't really have anything to do, so…we can pretty much just lay here."

"All day?" Sakura said, a tinge of hope in her voice, "My kind of day."

Neji smiled, "Mine too, as long as it's with you."

Sakura scoffed, her eyes teasing, "You say that to all the girls, don't you?"

"Just you."

There go her traitorous cheeks again, turning red with the blood surging beneath her skin. She took in a deep breath and gathered herself. The word were building and building in her chest, and she wondered how she should say them. Suddenly, she wanted to tell him how she felt. She wanted to let him know about her feelings, about every little thing that he made her feel…but she just couldn't find the words.

So she kissed him. It was long and deep and filled with all of the emotion she felt. She molded his mouth with hers, nipping at his bottom lip as she pulled away.

Neji smiled at her, "What was that for?"

"I just…" Sakura said, her voice trailing off, "I wanted to tell you something, but I couldn't find words…so…"

Neji cut her off, pressing his lips against hers, his large hand palming the small of her back, pressing her closer to him than before. Her eyes widened before she melted into the kiss, placing her hand against his chest and breathing in his scent.

"I love you, too."

Sakura started, pulling away and looking at the words that came from Neji's lips, "Wh-What…?"

"That's what you were trying to tell me, right?" Neji said, his eyes soft, like liquid silver, "And I'm saying I love you. Because I do."

Her heart hammered away in her chest, feeling as if it were so full it was about to burst. She jerked forward, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and burying her face into his chest, inhaling the scent that was just so definably Neji. She felt tears well in her eyes as she looked up, connecting her emerald orbs with his own ivory ones.

"I love you." were the words that came from her plump, swollen lips.

Neji chuckled, "I _knew _it."

Sakura laughed as she brought her mouth to his, bringing their lips together for what would be one of many, many times that day. She smiled, feeling her heart soar as his words repeated in her head.

"_I love you, too."_

He deepened the kiss, bringing her closer to him, feeling her lithe body move against his in a way that sent flames scorching up and down his spine.

As Sakura kissed him, she couldn't fight the smile from her face. She was just too happy. After all of the strife, all the trouble, they had gone through, here she was, in bed with the one man that she could see herself spending her life with. She loved him, and he loved her, and Sakura couldn't erase the happy feeling that penetrated her chest. She couldn't and she didn't want to. Not in the slightest.

She wrapped her arms tighter around his neck, bringing him even closer to her as her lips moved against his.

In that moment, nothing else existed. Nothing else except her and Neji. They were in their own little world, oblivious to the other happenings around them. They were just in their own little bubble, protected and secure in one another's arms.

And she wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

_**End Chapter Twenty.**_

_**End Sketches.**_


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